Rapid lateral flow tests give a quick result and can be done at home. There are different types of lateral flow tests, including ones that require a throat and nose swab and others that only need a nose swab. Current guidance recommends that these should be used only by people without symptoms.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/news-and-features/covid-19-when-should-you-do-a-lateral-flow-test-and-when-should-you-do-a-pcr