![]() ![]() Therefore, “false positive” means that you have been delivered a positive result, but are not actually infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “True” and “false” refer to the accuracy of the test, while “positive” and “negative” refer to the outcome you receive, says Geoffrey Baird, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In the most basic sense, there are four possible outcomes for a COVID-19 test, whether it’s molecular PCR or rapid antigen: true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative. If not, it should give you a negative test result. “They have a solution that breaks the virus down and the parts then react with that antibody.” If you have the virus in your body, the test should deliver a band in your test results or say that it’s positive. “The tests have an antibody that reacts with the protein,” he says. Russo explains, they look for a protein that’s on the covering of the virus. These self tests don’t detect antibodies that would indicate that you had a previous infection or measure your immunity, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ![]() They usually involve you taking a sample from your nose and give you results within 15 minutes. Most home COVID tests are what’s known as rapid antigen tests. You’re probably familiar with home COVID tests on some level by this point, but it never hurts to go over the basics. ![]() So, how can you know if you’re dealing with a false positive? There’s a lot to unpack here, including what may cause this in the first place. Still, “these are pretty rare,” says Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and the chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, noting that “false negatives are much more likely to happen.” But, if you happen to take a test and get a positive you weren’t expecting, it’s more than understandable to wonder what causes a false positive rapid COVID test-and if you could be experiencing one.īut how accurate are antigen tests? False positive COVID-19 tests-when your result is positive, but you aren’t actually infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus-are a real, if unlikely, possibility, especially if you don’t perform your at-home test correctly. What should you do if you test positive on an at-home test?įor most people, having an at-home COVID test or two handy is just a normal part of life these days.How can you avoid false positives from rapid COVID tests?.How common are false positive COVID-19 tests?.What is a false positive COVID-19 test?. ![]()
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