By Sarah Jacoby; Today
As we gather for winter holiday parties this year, one way to protect ourselves is to take rapid COVID-19 tests before and after. But as undeniably helpful as those tests are, their results — and how to act on them — can also be confusing. For people who keep testing positive late into their infections, that's especially true.
The BA.5 variant that's been dominant since the summer is now competing with two other concerning strains, experts told TODAY.com previously. Now, in late November, BA.5 is responsible for less than 20% of COVID-19 cases while those newer strains — BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 — each account for about 30%, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To make things even more stressful, COVID-19 isn't the only seasonal illness we have to worry about right now.
"What folks really need to understand is that right now we are in flu season and RSV season — and we still have COVID hanging around," Dr. Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists, tells TODAY.com. And, because those illnesses all have similar symptoms, it's crucial to take a rapid test if you start to feel sick, she says.
So it's especially important to know when to take a COVID-19 rapid test, how to correctly interpret the results and when it’s OK to stop isolating — even if you’re still testing positive at 10 days and beyond.
When should you take an at-home COVID-19 test?
If you develop any symptoms that might signal COVID-19, you should take a home test immediately, the CDC says.
"Test as soon as you have symptoms," Volk recommends. "And if you get a positive test right out of the gate, you can trust that test."
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