Local health experts see an increase in false-negative COVID-19 rapid tests – KSN-TV

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Health experts say they are seeing a new tendency, an increase in false-negative COVID-19 rapid tests. This week KSN News talked with a local advanced nurse to learn more.

Luisa Taylor works for Free State Health Care and says since winter break the spike in false-negative rapid tests has increased significantly.

What happens is patients go get tested at a health clinic or a local COVID-19 testing site. Those rapid tests come back negative, but the PCR test comes back positive within a few days. The negative part about this is some people continue socializing with others during their infectious period and increase the spread of COVID-19.

We have a little bit of everything going on not just COVID so it is hard to know when to isolate but I would air on the side of caution. If you are sick enough or symptomatic enough that you are going to test yourself even with a rapid test, I would go ahead and recommend quarantining yourself for the 5 days that the CDC recommends, Taylor said.

Taylor suggests people go back and get tested after 3 days with a PCR test if results were negative but they are still having symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID-19.

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Local health experts see an increase in false-negative COVID-19 rapid tests - KSN-TV