![]() ![]() Long.Īnd if you're symptomatic before a gathering, an at-home rapid antigen test can confirm you're COVID positive - but did you really even need a test to determine that it's probably best to play it safe by taking a rain check and getting a PCR COVID-19 test instead? At-home testing is not a substitute for vaccination, masking and social distancing I would advise against relying on at-home rapid antigen tests to 'screen' for COVID before a gathering, especially since a person can transmit the virus when he or she is asymptomatic," explains Dr. In fact, they're actually likely to be false negative in that time period and many are approved only for use in people with symptoms. "Rapid antigen tests can easily miss asymptomatic infection. And they may actually provide a false sense of security. ![]() Unfortunately, these tests aren't sensitive enough to make a gathering safe. In a perfect pandemic world, you could try to plan a "safer" gathering by using at-home rapid antigen tests to make sure you and your guests aren't infected with COVID-19 beforehand. Can at-home rapid COVID tests really make a gathering safer? If you have symptoms or a confirmed COVID-19 exposure and are interested in a PCR test from Houston Methodist, get started by visiting with one of our Virtual Urgent Care providers. Sample collection is done at our locations, not at home, but we typically turn around the results in less than 24 hours," adds Dr. "At Houston Methodist, we offer PCR tests with a prompt turnaround time. One last thing to know is that PCR test results don't always have to take a few days. ![]() False negatives are fairly common with antigen tests, so it's really important that a negative antigen test be confirmed with a PCR test - which is much more accurate and sensitive," explains Dr. This is when your test is negative even though you're infected with COVID-19. "What's more concerning than a false positive, though, is a false negative. False positives - meaning your test is positive but you're not actually infected - are possible with antigen tests, although less likely if you're symptomatic. "If you've had a known exposure and are experiencing symptoms, a rapid antigen test might be a good way to quickly confirm that you're positive for COVID-19," says Dr. This detail is present in the package insert of most rapid antigen tests. If the test is negative, those results should still be confirmed by a PCR test. Long cautions that antigen tests work best early in the course of the disease if you're having symptoms. On the other hand, a rapid antigen test delivers quick results. Typically, it takes a few days to get your results from an at-home PCR test," says Dr. "Whether you have symptoms or not, a PCR test is always the most accurate and sensitive way of detecting the virus. Which out of the two is right for you? It depends, and the answer may be both of them.
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