Antigen tests are known to be less sensitive than viral tests. These COVID rapid tests perform best with people in the early stages of COVID-19 infection, when viral load is the highest. Rapid tests are less expensive than the more accurate genetic tests and can be available at point-of-care.
No test is completely accurate, which means that some cases will be missed (false negatives) and some people will be told they have the virus when they don’t (false positives). Positive tests tend to be accurate, but negative tests need to be interpreted with caution, especially in a high-risk setting or when used on asymptomatic people. However, some experts argue that widespread testing, even when it’s less accurate, can still help contain the COVID-19 pandemic – especially if the test is regularly repeated, which is usually the case for these kinds of tests.
As of November, UC Davis Health has a rapid test that is highly accurate. This test is used for patients with symptoms, where we need to know what’s causing those symptoms in order to better treat the patient.
Learn more about rapid COVID tests