Here's What To Know , About Rapid COVID Tests , and the BA.2 Variant.<br />Now that Omicron subvariant BA.2 is the dominant COVID strain in the U.S., you may have questions about the effectiveness of rapid tests.<br />Exerts say that rapid tests are no less accurate when it comes to detecting BA.2 than they are with other variants.<br />However, it may take longer for a BA.2 infection to be detectable by a rapid test.<br />There's usually a day or two delay between when you might test positive on a PCR versus when you might test positive on one of these at-home rapid <br />antigen tests, Dr. Celine Gounder, Kaiser Health News, <br />via NPR News.<br />But they do work to pick up an infection, and they should be used frequently, Dr. Celine Gounder, Kaiser Health News, <br />via NPR News.<br />This means that between the time a person is infected and a rapid test reads positive for BA.2, a person can infect more people because they are unaware they have COVID.<br />One aspect about Omicron [including the BA.2 subvariant] is biologically, it likely is more infective than the other <br />previous variants, Dr. Wilbur Lam, Biomedical Engineer, <br />via NPR News.<br />So the test might not even have time to pick it up before it <br />jumps from one person to <br />another person, Dr. Wilbur Lam, Biomedical Engineer, <br />via NPR News.<br />Experts seem to agree, however, that the accessibility of rapid tests and the speed at which they provide results should not be underestimated. .<br />Because these things are more available than PCR testing, <br />each person, if they're able <br />to get hold of them, can test <br />themselves serially, Dr. Wilbur Lam, Biomedical Engineer, <br />via NPR News.<br />That serial testing does end up mitigating the drawbacks of at least the accuracy of these types of tests compared to PCR tests, Dr. Wilbur Lam, Biomedical Engineer, <br />via NPR News.<br />Experts recommend if you're sick but continue to test negative, daily activities are fine as long as you do not encounter people who are immunocompromised.<br />Experts also say that rapid tests are <br />not necessarily inaccurate if used <br />after their expiration date.<br />A test will not go 'bad' immediately after the expiration date but will gradually degrade over time, Dr. Wilbur Lam, Biomedical Engineer, <br />via NPR News
