My friends wife has covid again... I'm starting to doubt testing accuracy.

[cabmandone]

My good friend's wife tested positive for Covid a few weeks ago. The family did the quarantine thing. His wife was tested 10 days later and the test was negative... so back to work! Work being that she's a healthcare provider.

Two days ago, his wife tests positive for Influenza B and their oldest daughter tests positive for Covid. His wife went in to be tested again because of symptoms that developed and she is now positive for Covid! Her first positive was accompanied by symptoms as is now her second.

One of the positives was a false positive. So which one? My take is, had to be the first. I thought this to be an interesting twist and it brings me back to my question of what percentage of the tests coming back positive without symptoms are really positive. I've read a lot about the high percentage of asymptomatic cases associated with Covid. Is it really a high percentage of asymptomatic or a high false positive?

Could the negative test 10 days after the first positive have been wrong? The time span has been about three weeks.

[wdfifteen]

I would be more concerned about the strength and longevity of any immunity that results from having the virus. Symptoms plus positive test seems pretty conclusive that she had the virus twice. Reinfection has been documented before.

[Walter_Middie]

Most test results that are positive are accurate - it's usually the negative results that are in question.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I would be more concerned about the strength and longevity of any immunity that results from having the virus. Symptoms plus positive test seems pretty conclusive that she had the virus twice. Reinfection has been documented before.

Like I said, this was about a 3 week timeframe. The thing that gets me is, she just tested positive for Influenza B (yeah she gets a shot because she's a healthcare provider) and now is positive for Covid after more symptoms developed while being positive for Influenza B. Something doesn't add up.

[ckelly78z]

NO ONE seems to have the standard flu this year (only Covid)...i'm sure the officials will tout their flu shot as the reason !

[red-beard]

The PCR test has a false positive rate of about 0.5%. HOWEVER, A positive PCR test does not mean you have active COVID-19.

CDC guidelines state you can stop isolating 10 days after a positive test with no symptoms. If you have symptoms, 10 days after the fever ends. If you use the PCR test after this point, you will keep testing positive for another 4+ weeks, because it is extremely sensitive at finding virus fragments.

I expect your friends negative test was a false negative.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Walter_Middie

Most test results that are positive are accurate - it's usually the negative results that are in question.

I go back to Governor DeWine's positive test. Had he not been immediately retested, he would have been a positive case but because he was immediately retested and the subsequent test was negative he's not a positive case. How many people are being tested and then retested in a matter of 48 hours to confirm the first positive?

I have a hard time feeling confident about testing and as you say most positive cases being accurate and I have a really difficult time believing the very high occurrence of asymptomatic cases. Unless something has changed, none of the tests being used currently are approved for testing people who don't have symptoms.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by red-beard

The PCR test has a false positive rate of about 0.5%. HOWEVER, A positive PCR test does not mean you have active COVID-19.

CDC guidelines state you can stop isolating 10 days after a positive test with no symptoms. If you have symptoms, 10 days after the fever ends. If you use the PCR test after this point, you will keep testing positive for another 4+ weeks, because it is extremely sensitive at finding virus fragments.

I expect your friends negative test was a false negative.

After thinking about it more, I think that has to be the case. I'll have to ask my friend's wife which test she got that showed her negative. I think it was a PCR but I'll post back once I know for sure.

[ckelly78z]

They are conditioning us into being more compliant about wanting universal care !

[cabmandone]

Initial Positive was PCR
Retest negative after 10 days was Rapid
New positive test PCR

[vash]

Which test?

The deep WTF -I didn't know my nose passage goes directly to my brain probe

Or

The; here is a probe, please probe yourself (I.E. you find the shallowest booger and stop there)

[speeder]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I would be more concerned about the strength and longevity of any immunity that results from having the virus. Symptoms plus positive test seems pretty conclusive that she had the virus twice. Reinfection has been documented before.

Originally Posted by cabmando

Initial Positive was PCR
Retest negative after 10 days was Rapid
New positive test PCR

She never got rid of it...she was positive the whole time.

Maybe not sick but as Redbeard points out, viruses stay in your body a long time.

[Buckterrier]

I unfortunately tested positive Dec. 11. I called the state government agency asking when should I be tested again. They told me not for at least 3 months because of the possibility of false positives.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by vash

Which test?

The deep WTF -I didn't know my nose passage goes directly to my brain probe

Or

The; here is a probe, please probe yourself (I.E. you find the shallowest booger and stop there)

I did the "swab yourself" test earlier this week, they described quite well how to hold my head, how to insert it, and what to expect when I got to the right depth.

That being, it's like your gag reflex for your nose. You instantly want to sneeze violently and your eyes start watering. It's like having hay fever instantly hit you. Just don't sneeze, because you'll shove that swab through the back of your head if you do...

I think as long as you nose-gag, you're good.

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I did the "swab yourself" test earlier this week, they described quite well how to hold my head, how to insert it, and what to expect when I got to the right depth.

That being, it's like your gag reflex for your nose. You instantly want to sneeze violently and your eyes start watering. It's like having hay fever instantly hit you. Just don't sneeze, because you'll shove that swab through the back of your head if you do...

I think as long as you nose-gag, you're good.

Both my nostrils were just reamed out no deepnosing.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by speeder

She never got rid of it...she was positive the whole time.

Maybe not sick but as Redbeard points out, viruses stay in your body a long time.

That's the part I'm stuck on. She had symptoms with her first test and now again with this one. Typically if you're showing symptoms, the test is more accurate from what I've read about testing.

[fintstone]

The nasal tests were never accurate. That is why the numbers really don't make sense.

[fintstone]

https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-who-information-notice-for-ivd-users

[creaturecat]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

They are conditioning us into being more compliant about wanting universal care !

you say that like it's a bad thing. jeez.

[RWebb]

did your good friend's wife take PCR tests?