![]() ![]() “But that doesn't give a chance for the virus to reproduce, and if the virus doesn't reproduce, there won't be any antigens or viral protein there to be detected. “Somebody will be exposed, for example, and they may test right away,” she said. Dudley said it takes a few days for antigen tests to be able to detect COVID. Waiting a few days after potential exposure before even taking the test can also help reduce your chances of a false negative. ![]() The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommend washing your hands, cleaning the surface you’re placing the test on, and leaving all the equipment in its packaging prior to collecting your sample to improve the accuracy of at-home tests. She stressed the importance of carefully reading and following the directions on the at-home test. “But at home, of course, nobody has control over whether people are following the instructions,” Dudley said. She said when going to a county-run testing site or pharmacy, trained professionals are taking your samples and can provide guidance - like asking people to not eat or drink 30 minutes before a saliva sample is taken. Jaquelin Dudley, a molecular biology professor and associate director of the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease at the University of Texas, said many of those false negatives can be chalked up to user error and bad timing. These antigen tests are pretty accurate - but false negatives, or results that say you don’t have COVID when you do, can still happen.ĭr. ![]() As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, more people are using at-home, rapid antigen tests to determine whether it’s safe to interact with people without spreading the virus. ![]()
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