A Question About Covid Testing.....

[global1]

My understanding is that the Covid test is a depiction of that moment in time that the test is done.

So a person might get the test and learn that the results say he/she tested negative for the virus (i.e., doesn't have the virus).

That person could come out of this testing with a good feeling and a sense of security that they don't have the virus and could feel embolden that they can ease up on social distancing or ease up on self isolation/stay at home orders and go to a grocery store and pick up the virus while shopping soon after they receive the results of this test.

If another test was then given to this person a few days later - they could test positive.

Am I understanding this correctly? Being tested is only good for that moment in time that one was tested. A second test a few days to a week later could yield different results depending on how one takes precautions of preventing on picking up the virus.

Will we have to continue taking multiple tests until a vaccine becomes available to make sure we are virus-free? So really there is no assurance that if you learn a person tested negative for the virus - that they didn't pick up the virus after the time that they received the results of that test?

[jberryhill]

1. That's correct

My last STD test was clean in January, so I've been screwing like a rabbit since then. Same thing.

The only relatively safe status, months from now when we understand the rate of false positives, negatives, and incidence of persons with reinfection/re-emergence will be an antibody test demonstrating relative immunity to the strain in question.

[samnsara]

2. i have been arguing this with my Pharmcist hubby for weeks and finally yesterday..

...some of the show hosts brought it up. YEP! You get the test and before you get the results you could be infected. So the tests have to be done over and over again until each person gets a clean test for ..how any weeks?... Just cuz you have tested negative at THIS MOMENT doesnt mean you stay negative...just until the next infected person breaths in your air space.....
Also I'm keeping a log of where we travel to and when..

[Wounded Bear]

3. Hell, at the rate results were being returned...

you could get your negative test and die before the results came in. Some people already have IIRC.

[Hoyt]

4. Exactly. You could become infected giving the specimen or a few days later.

Testing, even with this problem and issue of high false negatives, is better than nothing, especially with contact tracing.

But, we'd all have to be tested several times a day -- with accurate immediate results -- to really help.

[frazzled]

5. It's partially why

You should only be tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19. Your symptoms (at that moment) may not indicate COVID-19; it could be something else. That is still not to say you could not have it a week later.

Testing has been expanded greatly in my state, but it's still only for people with symptoms. It's still not possible to test everyone, so only symptomatic people are receiving tests.

[JT45242]

6. Until antibody testing is common and we know more about Covid ...

You are correct.

Even if we did antibody testing, we would not be sure that you are OK and immune until we know more about those people who became asymptomatic and then tested positive for active Covid-19 weeks later. Are there multiple strains ... is immunity limited ... how quickly is it mutating?

An antibody test would tell you that you had and your body was able to fight off that strain and create antibodies that time. Much beyond that we are in the wild west of not knowing much about thi sthing.