Can COVID-19 Antigen Tests Be False Positive?
COVID-19Common questionCan COVID-19 antigen tests be false positive?Despite the high specificity of antigen tests, false positive results will occur, especially when used in communities where the prevalence of infection is low – a circumstance that is true for all in vitro diagnostic tests.
What is a false positive COVID-19 antibody test?
Sometimes a person can test positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies when they do not actually have those specific antibodies. This is called a false positive.
Test for Past Infection
What is a false positive rate for a virus test?
The false positive rate — that is, how often the test says you have the virus when you actually do not — should be close to zero. Most false-positive results are thought to be due to lab contamination or other problems with how the lab has performed the test, not limitations of the test itself.
Which test is best for COVID-19?
What should be done if the COVID-19 antigen test result is positive?
In a community setting, when testing a person who has symptoms compatible with COVID-19, the healthcare provider generally can interpret a positive antigen test to indicate that the person is infected with SARS-CoV-2; this person should follow CDC's guidance for isolation. However, if the person who has received a positive antigen test result is fully vaccinated, the healthcare provider should inform the public health authorities. Ideally, a separate specimen would be collected and sent to a lab
Interim Guidance for Antigen Testing for SARS-CoV-2
When are antigen tests the better option to screen for COVID-19?
The clinical performance of diagnostic tests largely depends on the circumstances in which they are used. Both antigen tests and NAATs perform best if the person is tested when their viral load is generally highest. Because antigen tests perform best in symptomatic people and within a certain number of days since symptom onset, antigen tests are used frequently on people who are symptomatic. Antigen tests also may be informative in diagnostic testing situations in which the person has a known ex
Interim Guidance for Antigen Testing for SARS-CoV-2