Despite being confident they have the virus, some with coronavirus symptoms are testing negative on lateral flow tests for Covid-19 – here’s everything you need to know, including how accurate antigen tests are.

Running through the list of Coronavirus symptoms, you realize you have more than your fair share.

You reluctantly take what feels like the thousandth coronavirus test, but it comes back negative, much to your astonishment.

This isn’t an isolated case.

People all around the country have been experiencing the same problem, but this does not rule out the possibility that you have Covid-19.

Rapid antigen tests are less accurate than PCR testing, and while they have been (and will continue to be) an important element of the disease response, they are prone to errors.

In an interview with the Guardian, Dr Michael Lydeamore, an infectious disease modeller at Monash University, said:

“Most are probably around a 75% sensitivity.

“Meaning if you have Covid … you have a 75% chance of testing positive. Compare that to PCRs, which are about 99%. So there’s a big gap there.”

This number could be considerably lower depending on who you ask. According to a Cochrane Library meta-analysis, lateral flow tests detect 72 percent of symptomatic cases but only 58 percent of asymptomatic instances.

According to government guidelines, if you test negative, you are unlikely to be contagious.

However, this does not rule out the possibility that you have the virus; in fact, there is a significant probability you do.

Even if you have Covid symptoms, the government advises you to stay at home.

Keep a safe distance from persons who are vulnerable. Covid-19 has the potential to cause significant illness in a large number of individuals, therefore we must do everything we can to protect them.

You can resume your normal activities as soon as you feel better and have gotten rid of your fever.

People who test positive for Covid in the United States should stay at home and avoid contact with others, according to the CDC.

Image Credit: Getty

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