Do these tests provide accurate negative results?

Recently, high-profile public figures have received unusually rapid test results, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk."Some very fake things are happening," Musk tweeted. "Tested four times for COVID-19 today.Two tests came back negative; two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse."Another celebrity who faced the same problem was singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, who tested positive for one nostril and negative for the other."No symptoms. Tested forCOVID.Same machine.Left nostril positive.Right nostril negative," Badu tweeted.why is this?To understand the complications of faster testing, it helps to understand how polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests the only type of test available when the pandemic began work.The PCR version requires the use of chemical reagents, expensive laboratory machinery and administration by trained professionals.It uses a sample of mucus from the nose or throat to detect only traces of genetic material, large and small, from the virus.This makes PCR tests very accurate in identifying infected people, but takes hours or weeks to produce results.Unlike the PCR test, the rapid version misses’ small amounts of virus; it only detects higher viral loads.That means antigen tests could falsely identify infected people with only a few viral proteins.on that question,The FDA is warning clinical laboratories and healthcare providers that antigen tests may produce false negative results.The test's error has many health experts concerned that failure to detect the virus in humans could lead to an outbreak.Despite the limited accuracy of negative tests, rapid tests are still widely used by healthcare providers for valid reasons.

When should a rapid COVID-19 test be done?  

Despite the problems, rapid testing has been a useful response to the outbreak. According to the FDA, antigen tests with "positive results are generally very accurate" and prevent infected patients from spreading the virus.The New York Times explained Dr.Michael Mina's positive view on antigen testing, saying: "Compared with a backlog of PCR pipelines, near-daily testing will enable faster identification of infections at the cusp of contagion, helping people at critical times. Self-quarantine." Time".While a positive result can help patients understand whether they need to be isolated immediately, a negative result requires additional work to determine what steps need to be taken.If a patient receives a negative result, the FDA, WHO, and CDC recommend that healthcare providers perform a PCR test on the patient to confirm the result and provide a better sense of safety.For the most reliable rapid test results, the CDC recommends that doctors test patients who have been symptomatic for five days or less.However, there are no answers for asymptomatic patients because not enough data has been collected.At the end of the day, when antigen tests are done correctly and show a positive result, they are very accurate.If the result is negative, the test may be wrong and a PCR test should be done. Even if people test negative, health experts are encouraging the public to avoid dinner parties or travel because they can still spread the virus. Testing is only part of the solution to slowing the spread of the virus; we also need to continue wearing masks, social distancing and practicing proper hygiene to keep everyone safe.