Why Getting a COVID-19 Test Isn’t<br />Enough for a Safe Holiday Gathering .<br />With the holiday season upon us,<br />friends and family worldwide are figuring<br />out how to safely see each other. .<br />In order to meet in person, guests will<br />likely turn to COVID-19 tests to determine<br />whether they are “clear” to gather. .<br />Unfortunately, experts agree that<br />relying on testing is not a safe<br />plan for holiday celebrations. .<br />COVID-19’s incubation period, the amount<br />of time it takes for a person to become infectious,<br />can potentially last for up to 14 days.<br />This means that a person could test<br />negative for COVID-19 simply because they<br />haven’t begun “shedding” the virus yet.<br />The chance of someone having an<br />asymptomatic or mild case with<br />a low viral load of COVID-19 can<br />also complicate holiday plans. .<br />Doctors believe low viral loads<br />are harder for tests to detect.<br />This means that someone could have<br />no symptoms and test negative <br />for COVID-19, but still be infectious.<br />Rapid antigen tests, which<br />people are more likely to use because of their speed<br />and low cost, are not always accurate. .<br />The reported rate of false<br />negative results for antigen tests<br />is as high as 50 percent. .<br />PCR tests are estimated to<br />produce false negative rates between<br />2 percent and 37 percent
