President Biden has promised to distribute 500 million at-home COVID-19 tests to help battle rising cases associated with the omicron variant, but how reliable are those tests?
Dr. John Swartzberg, UC Berkeley professor and infectious disease expert, told KCBS Radio that the tests are effective, however they do have false negatives.
"If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, taking a rapid test when done correctly can give you a high degree of assurance whether or not you’re infected, but it’s not 100%," Swartzberg warned.
He said if he tested negative, he would repeat the tests the next day or the day after to be sure of the results.
For holiday parties, Swartzberg reassured that a rapid COVID-19 test before a gathering is a reliable way to protect others from coronavirus. "I think a rapid test just before you go in is sufficient to say you’re not going to be contagious even if you are (unknowingly) infected at the time you’re going to be at the party," he said.
However, if you're seeing friends or family members who have a weakened immune system or are elderly, Swartzberg advised to up the precaution.
"I would do more than just a test that day," he said. "I'd do at least at a minimum, two days in a row of negative rapid tests or get a PCR three days before and a rapid test the day of the party."
Despite the inability for at-home tests to be 100% reliable, Swartzberg confirmed that if the rapid test is positive and you have symptoms, you’ve got COVID-19, putting false positive fears to rest.
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