What does rapid antigen positive mean?

A positive test result means that proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been found in your nasal swab sample. It is likely that you will need to perform self-isolation at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A positive result does not rule out coinfection with other pathogens.

How accurate are Sofia rapid Covid tests?

Compared with real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, the Sofia antigen test had a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 98.9% among symptomatic persons; accuracy was lower (sensitivity 41.2% and specificity 98.4%) when used for screening of asymptomatic persons.

How accurate is rapid antigen test?

Siddiqui says the study showed that the rapid antigen test was high in sensitivity (ability to identify people for whom the PCR test would detect a SARS-CoV-2 infection) at 92.7% for all participants and specificity (ability to identify people for whom the PCR test would not detect a SARS-CoV-2 infection) at 98% for …

Is the antigen test the rapid test?

Antigen tests Rapid, accurate tests are essential to contain a highly contagious virus like SARS-CoV-2. PCR tests are accurate but can take a long time to produce results. Antigen tests, the other major type of coronavirus test, while much faster, are less accurate.

Does a positive rapid antigen test mean you are contagious?

However, a positive antigen test result does not necessarily mean that a person is infectious; similarly, a negative test result does not necessarily mean that a person is not infectious. Nonetheless, a positive or negative antigen test might be a useful proxy for the risk for being infectious.

WHAT IS A antigen test for COVID-19?

A COVID-19 antigen test detects coronavirus proteins in the mouth and throat. This test determines whether a patient is currently infected with COVID-19.

How long after having Covid Will you test positive?

What This Means For You. If you get COVID-19, you may test positive on a PCR test for several weeks after you have ceased to be infectious. With a rapid test, you may test positive for six or seven days after your symptoms have cleared.

How long after having Covid Will you stop testing positive?

Unfortunately, many people can test positive for COVID-19 for weeks or even months, but there is good news: people are not likely to be contagious for that long, even if they test positive, and therefore are unlikely to transmit the virus to others.