Early in the pandemic, the message from governments of all levels was crystal clear: If you have symptoms, get a PCR test.
While that still largely holds true, rules about who should get tested and which kind of test they should take are more complicated.
The rapid surge in Omicron across the holiday season has pushed testing capacity in many parts of Australia to the limit, and the introduction of rapid antigen tests has offered another way to find out if you're infected.
Here's a general breakdown of each kind of test and when you should take them.
When should I get a PCR test?
Australians have been told for nearly two years that if you have COVID symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get a PCR test.
That remains the case, even as the PCR testing system comes under pressure.
Other reasons you should get a PCR test are if your rapid antigen test comes back positive (even if you're asymptomatic) or if your local health authorities inform you you're a close contact and ask you to get a test.
Not all states will require that close contacts get a PCR test, however, the option is available, particularly where rapid tests are in short supply (which right now is pretty much everywhere, more on that in a moment).
Under guidelines agreed to by National Cabinet — but not yet adopted by Western Australia — close contacts only need to get a PCR test if they return a positive rapid antigen test result.
Western Australia continues to require PCR tests for some contacts and NSW continues to say close contacts should obtain a PCR test "as soon as possible".
Travel restrictions have broadly moved away from requiring PCR tests, however, the Northern Territory still requires a negative PCR test for people entering from a hotspot.
In the very limited circumstances where WA is letting anybody in, those travellers are also required to have a negative PCR test before arrival, however, some states have restricted travel-related PCR testing at their clinics.
PCR tests have been referred to as the "gold standard" test because they're extremely accurate at detecting if a person has COVID-19.
But it can take days for a person to receive a result due to the complex lab processing performed on samples.
That, combined with the fact people seeking a PCR test need to line up at testing centres, pushed the system across much of Australia to breaking point over the Christmas period.
As a result, governments agreed on the above rules for who should get a PCR test in a bid to shorten the hours-long queues at many testing centres.
For any other requirements, you'll need a rapid antigen test.
When should I take a rapid antigen test?
Under the National Cabinet rules, people who have been identified as close contacts but do not have COVID symptoms should take a rapid antigen test upon entering isolation and again on day 6.
If both tests are negative, they can leave isolation on day 7.
A negative rapid test result is also required to enter some parts of the country, including Queensland, Tasmania and the NT (the Territory also requires a negative PCR test before arrival, then RATs which are provided on arrival).
Inbound travellers to Queensland and Tasmania must source their own RAT and declare it has come back negative before they travel.
Rapid antigen tests can also be used to check if you're potentially infectious before attending a place with high transmission risk, like a large gathering, aged care home or hospital.
Rapid antigen tests are less reliable than PCR tests, but are accurate enough to play a role in monitoring for potential infection.
However, the introduction of rapid tests as a way of monitoring for COVID risk has seen a run on shops and pharmacies, leaving many shelves bare.
Some state governments are in the process of procuring RATs to give out for free to people deemed close contacts, however, the federal government says it won't make them free for anybody who wants one.
What are the symptoms of Omicron that qualify for a PCR test?
While the Omicron variant appears to cause less severe illness than other variants of COVID-19, it can cause many of the same symptoms.
As we said, if you have any COVID-19 symptoms you qualify for a PCR test and should get one as soon as possible.
The potential symptoms include:
- fever (a temperature of 37.5˚C or higher)
- chills or night sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- tiredness (fatigue)
- difficulty breathing
- headache
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
- distortion of sense of taste (dysgeusia)
- nausea and vomiting
- joint pain
- loss of appetite
- runny nose
- acute blocked nose (congestion).
