What's the difference between 检测 and 检查? Google translate gives &quot;discover&quot; and &quot;detect&quot; for &quot;检测&quot; as well as &quot;examination&quot; and &quot;checking&quot; for &quot;检查&quot;.
When talking about COVID-19, should I use 检测 or 检查?
In general, the difference between the two words is:

检测 means &quot;to test&quot;
检查 means &quot;to inspect&quot; or &quot;to examine&quot;, but also &quot;to test&quot; works, in most contexts

When talking about viruses, the two terms are used a bit interchangeably. However you should use 检测 when referring to a diagnostic test:

阳性/阴性检测结果 positive/negative test results
检测冠状病毒的仪器 coronavirus testing devices
大部分患者尚未进行新冠病毒检测 most patients have not been tested for the coronavirus

You can use 检查 when you mean &quot;to inspect&quot; or &quot;to test&quot; more generically:

对外来人口进行检查 conduct tests/inspections (generic) on the foreign population
胸部CT检查发现异常 thoracic CT scan shows anomalies
进行食品安全检查 conduct food safety inspections