After exposure to COVID-19, you can typically test positive within 3 to 5 days, depending on the variant of the virus involved. The incubation period- the time from exposure to symptom onset-is on average about 5 days but can range from 2 to 14 days. For example, the Omicron variant has a shorter incubation period of 1 to 4 days
. Testing too early after exposure may result in a false negative. Therefore, health authorities recommend waiting at least 5 days after your last exposure before taking a COVID-19 test if you have no symptoms. If symptoms develop earlier, you should test immediately
. If your initial test is negative but you remain asymptomatic, it is advised to retest after 24–48 hours to catch any late-onset infections. In cases of ongoing exposure, such as living with someone infected, testing every 2–3 days until the infected person’s isolation ends is recommended
. In summary:
- You may test positive as early as 3 days after exposure, but more commonly around 5 days.
- If asymptomatic, wait 5 days post-exposure to test for more accurate results.
- Test immediately if symptoms appear.
- Retest after 24–48 hours if the first test is negative but exposure was recent or ongoing.
This approach helps detect infection during the incubation period when viral load becomes detectable
