AUGUST 22, 2024

Early COVID-19 Testing Might Miss Up to 92% of Cases

By Lisa Marshall

People who think they have COVID-19 should wait two days after respiratory symptoms develop before they test, but those who might have influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) would be better off testing right away, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder (Sci Adv 2024;10(24) doi:10.1126/sciadv.adk5108). 

“For COVID, we found that if you only have one test, it's best to wait two days after symptoms arise to use it,