Pcr Test Accuracy

Can the PCR test pick up COVID-19 infection before symptoms appear?

When people have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, but don't have symptoms themselves, a PCR test could pick up a low-level infection possibly before people become infectious to others. “That could buy you a little time” to isolate and prevent spreading the virus to others, Gronvall says.

COVID-19 testing is complicated. Here are answers to 6 big questions

How accurate are at home COVID-19 tests?

Home tests will miss some infections and in rare cases mistakenly indicate an infection. One popular test misses around 15 out of 100 infections — these are called “false negatives” — and gives a false positive result in about 1 in 100 people who aren't infected.

How Accurate Are At-Home COVID Tests? What to Know - NBC Chicago

How long should you wait to test for COVID-19 after exposure?

Every viral disease has an incubation period—the time from when you were exposed to a pathogen to when it can be detected. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends waiting five to seven days after exposure to COVID-19 before taking a test.

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What are consequences of a false negative COVID-19 test?

Risks to a patient of a false negative test result include: delayed or lack of supportive treatment, lack of monitoring of infected individuals and their household or other close contacts for symptoms resulting in increased risk of spread of COVID-19 within the community, or other unintended adverse events.

CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel - Healthcare Provider Fact Sheet