There are 2 types of Covid-19 tests available, Covid -19 RTK Antigen and Covid-19 RT-PCR.

• Covid-19 RTK Antigen is recognized by MOH as a rapid screening method for Covid-19 with accuracy & sensitivity of 80%.
• Covid-19 RT-PCR is recognized by MOH as gold standard for Covid-19 diagnostic test with accuracy & sensitivity of 99%.

• For Covid-19 RTK Antigen test, nasopharyngeal swab, (swab sample from nostrils) will be taken.
• For Covid-19 RT-PCR test, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab (swab sample from nostrils and throat) will be taken.

The process will takes about 5 minutes, because the swab samples will be taken from nostrils and throat only.

• For Covid-19 RTK Antigen, lab report will be emailed within 30 minutes.
• For Covid-19 RT-PCR, lab report will be emailed within 24 hours.

Common complaints from patients that had undergone the COVID-19 test include feeling uncomfortable during the procedure. Very rarely, the introduction of a 6th-inches swab may cause infection. Nevertheless, these side effects are temporary and manageable.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has found that the accuracy of RT-PCR for COVID-19 test is 99%. Remember that wearing a mask and always maintaining social distancing is important. This is because there is a very small risk of false negative test results and you might infect others if you do not follow the Standard of Procedure (SOP) instructed from the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The requirement for the test will be depending on the country you are visiting. If you are travelling within the country you are not required to get a test. You might need to do the test before or after reaching a foreign country.

COVID-19 test price in Malaysia very depending on providers and location. Test conducted by the Ministry of Health are free of charge. Price for COVID-19 test conducted by private providers can be range from RM100-RM600. You can check the price at the hospitals or laboratories that offer this services.