Nucleic acid done at 3:00 p.m. usually gives results within 24 hours, no later than 48 hours, and emergency patients can show results within 4-6 hours. However, since the testing methods and kits used by each hospital are different, as well as the time and batch of tests sent by the institution where the test was performed are different, if you want to know the exact time, you should consult with the hospital or institution where the test was performed in advance. Nucleic acid testing is generally done for viral infections. Viral nucleic acid testing is done by PCR amplification technology to detect the presence of viruses in specimens such as nasopharyngeal swabs, blood, sputum and other lower respiratory secretions. Usually it is more accurate to detect lower respiratory specimens, such as sputum and airway extracts, but considering the convenience, speed and comfort of the person being tested, viral nucleic acid testing in hospitals mostly uses pharyngeal swabs as specimens for testing. Viral nucleic acid test results can be classified as positive or negative. A positive result means that the virus is detected in the specimen and a negative result means that the virus is not detected in the specimen. However, the presence or absence of viral infection cannot be determined by a single test result. False positives can occur due to cross-infection of specimen collection, and false negatives can also occur due to various factors such as disease progression, specimen collection, testing procedures and reagents. Therefore, for patients with symptoms highly suspicious of viral infection, retesting is required, and the interval between retests should be greater than 24 hours.