COVID-19 Testing for the UCSF Community

The information on this page is directed to UCSF faculty, staff and learners and Benioff Children's Hospitals faculty. For patient information, visit UCSF Health’s COVID-19 Information for Patients & Visitors or COVID-19 Vaccines at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals websites.


Updated April 1, 2024

UCSF COVID-19 Testing Policy

Review the UCSF Return-to-Onsite Work Guidelines for COVID-19 Symptoms, COVID-19 Exposures and COVID-19 Positive Test results.

How to Get a COVID Test

Keep in mind:

COVID tests are available via:

  • UC Health Insurance Plans 
    • For UCSF faculty, staff and learners, learn more about how to get access to rapid antigen test kits through your UC Health plans. 
    • Additional details can be found at UCNet or on the individual UCNet health plan pages. For questions, contact your health plan directly at the number on your insurance card. 
  • Non-UC Health Insurance Plans
    • Your insurance may provide you with free home antigen test kits. Check with your insurance provider.
  • UCSF Occupational Health Services  
    • For workplace exposures, complete the Digital Screener and contact UCSF Occupational Health Services-COVID Response Team at 415-514-7328 to discuss where to get test kits. 
  • Primary Care Provider
    • Contact your Primary Care Provider to assist with testing and treatment.
  • Community-Based Retailers / Pharmacies (e.g., Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Costco, Grocery Stores, Amazon and others)
  • Urgent Care Clinics / Emergency Department

UCSF-Approved Tests

  • Home-based Rapid Antigen (ie. BinaxNOW, iHealth, Abbott Now, FlowFlex, QuickView)  
  • Reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) PCR  
  • Nucleic acid amplification (NAA)  
  • Non-Abbott ID Now nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)  
  • Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA)  
  • Loop-mediated amplification (LAMP)