![]() PCR tests, meanwhile, detect the virus’s genetic material.īecause COVID-19 most commonly infects the upper respiratory tract, both tests require a sample from your nose. Anything your body’s immune system might respond to, such as viruses, bacteria or toxins, has antigens. Rapid antigen tests (the kind used at home that return results in 15 minutes) detect pieces of the virus called antigens. The two kinds of COVID-19 tests – rapid antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests – work to detect the virus in your body, but in different ways. “Always assume your stuffy nose, sore throat or other symptoms are a result of COVID-19 and take precautions.” “Never rely on a negative test result to inform an important decision such as visiting a loved one who might be at risk of severe COVID-19,” said Sutton. “If you have any COVID-19-like symptoms, you should assume you have COVID-19,” said Melissa Sutton, Oregon Health Authority’s medical director of respiratory viral pathogens. Those who develop symptoms should get tested as symptoms develop, but if a test is negative and symptoms persist another test might be needed a few days later, particularly for those who use at-home test kits.COVID-19 tests are extremely reliable when they give a positive result, but a negative result can’t always be trusted.įalse negatives test results are tests that show a negative result even when the person is infected with the COVID-19 virus, and they are common. Still, CDC guidance states that, regardless of symptoms or vaccinations, those who are exposed to someone with coronavirus should get tested at least five days after their exposure. That can include even those who are symptomatic, because their symptoms may be related to the immune system's response and not just the virus, Gronvall told the NYT. Juliet Morrison, a microbiologist at the University of California, Riverside, also noted that in such cases vaccination “keeps the viral load below the level of detection." "Multiple negative tests increases the confidence that you are not infected with the virus that causes COVID-19." "Consider repeating the test 24 to 48 hours later," the guidance states. The CDC recommends those who test negative, test again 24-48 hours after their first test. Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told Moyer that because vaccination helps keep the virus from replicating too quickly, it may keep people who received the COVID vaccine from testing positive right away, or even at all. ![]() When she inquired with experts as to why that may be, she learned that vaccination status can also play a role.ĭr. In a recent New York Times article, science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer wrote that while her daughter tested positive for COVID, other members of her family who developed symptoms soon after did not. "If you never had a positive at-home test and you're still not having a positive at-home test, almost certainly, your level of virus was pretty low," she said. She noted that in some cases, a negative test could be because levels of viral load may be lower, "and the chance of you spreading it is lower, but it's not zero." "If it's positive, it's positive, like we don't worry about false positives," Arwady said. That can be for a variety of reasons.Īccording to the Mayo Clinic, "the risk of false-negative or false-positive test results depends on the type and sensitivity of the COVID-19 diagnostic test, thoroughness of the sample collection, and accuracy of the lab analysis."Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "positive results from self-tests are highly reliable." Negative results, however, may not rule out infection, particularly in those with COVID-19 symptoms, the CDC states. When it comes to testing accuracy, positive results are more reliable than negative, officials said. Illinois Department of Public Health Acting Director Amaal Tokars this week urged anyone who is sick to stay home, saying the state has seen a 10% increase in cases since the Memorial Day holiday. How Long Can You Test Positive for COVID Following Infection?
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