Why Getting a COVID-19 Test Isn’t Enough for a Safe Holiday Gathering

Why Getting a COVID-19 Test Isn’t Enough for a Safe Holiday Gathering .

With the holiday season upon us, friends and family worldwide are figuring out how to safely see each other.

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In order to meet in person, guests will likely turn to COVID-19 tests to determine whether they are “clear” to gather.

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Unfortunately, experts agree that relying on testing is not a safe plan for holiday celebrations.

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COVID-19’s incubation period, the amount of time it takes for a person to become infectious, can potentially last for up to 14 days.

This means that a person could test negative for COVID-19 simply because they haven’t begun “shedding” the virus yet.

The chance of someone having an asymptomatic or mild case with a low viral load of COVID-19 can also complicate holiday plans.

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Doctors believe low viral loads are harder for tests to detect.

This means that someone could have no symptoms and test negative for COVID-19, but still be infectious.

Rapid antigen tests, which people are more likely to use because of their speed and low cost, are not always accurate.

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The reported rate of false negative results for antigen tests is as high as 50 percent.

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PCR tests are estimated to produce false negative rates between 2 percent and 37 percent