#rapid tests

[willowreader]

New COVID Variant Triggers Symptoms Before Positive Tests, Complicating Diagnoses

A new COVID-19 variant is causing symptoms days before individuals test positive, posing challenges to containment efforts and highlighting

If you have a cold and test negative for COVID you are not in the clear. Tests take a while to turn positive. Meanwhile you are spreading COVID to family and friends. Mask up if you have any symptoms. This virus is just evil.

[covid-conscious-and-silly]

Pomegranate Medical is doing a silly 4/20 sale! get 20% off of 3M Aura respirators, rapid tests, mask tape, and more (no code needed; unclear what time zone it ends in, but to my knowledge, PM is based in the so-called "US")

Pomegranate Medical

💚 Covid PPE and Tests, by and for the Covid Cautious community 💚

[spooniestrong]

[pandemic-info]

Evolving peak SARS-CoV-2 loads relative to symptom onset may influence home-test timing | CIDRAP

Evolving peak SARS-CoV-2 loads relative to symptom onset may influence home-test timing

Median SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, as measured by polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold and antigen concentrations, rose from symptom onset,

Median SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, as measured by polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold (Ct) and antigen concentrations, rose from symptom onset, peaking on the fourth or fifth day of symptoms. Estimated rapid antigen test sensitivity was 30.0% to 60.0% on the first day, 59.2% to 74.8% on the third, and 80.0% to 93.3% on the fourth.

Plain English:

Highest viral load is ~4-5 days into symptom onset, which means you're most likely to test positive about a week after an initial infection.

That also means that if you're IC/HR/etc. (or healthy & just don't want a disease that has a high chance of turning into long-term disability) and need to isolate from someone who's likely been exposed, the "quarantine" period should be at least 4-5 days, if not up to a week.

This has been the case for several years, not new, and corroborated by virologists and epidemiologists I've spoken to about their own protocol for infection avoidance.

[3liza]

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19/navigating-false-negatives-covid-rapid-tests

[alldeadallbread]

i have no idea how i just had the thought that theyve rapid tested in the past 3 years

date idea with the bf: rapid test eachother!!!!!

ps i tried so hard to make tbang bald i really did i prommy i physically couldnt do it i j

[dailybehbeh]

Behbeh

[olena]

IMPORTANT:

SYMPTOMS START FOR 2 VERY DIFFERENT REASONS

This is one of the Biggest OVERSIGHTS of the pandemic w MAJOR consequence

This new Paper is a good example of this:

We MUST consider that Incubation period Depends on Immune Status!

https://t.co/5mUGQhHQjU

—

Rapid rests work differently with breakthrough infections, which most omicron are. Read MM's thread to learn.

One of the major takeaways is that Day 5 — yes, when CDC (irresponsibly) says you're fine to go back untested — could be peak infectiousness.

Another is that it's a good idea to retake a rapid test every couple of days if you've been exposed and / or have symptoms.