The Premium Debate: Symptomatic but negative RAT test? Keep testing, assume you have Covid - doctors say

A rapid antigen test. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Doctors are urging people with Covid symptoms to keep testing even after multiple negative RAT results - and one specialist says the tests are just 60 to 80 per cent accurate.

The Ministry of Health says there have been reports of symptomatic people testing negative for Covid-19 in their initial test but later returning a positive test.

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No news here. It's been known for many months that RATs miss about 20 per cent of cases (the "false negative" rate). That's why RATs were a bad idea earlier in the NZ epidemic, despite all the bleating about the Government "banning" them. Even today, they give a false sense of security. Isolate while you have the symptoms, whatever your RAT says.
Brian C

So they still pick it up eight out of 10 cases. As opposed to zero cases if RATs aren't available, or having to queue for hours and wait for five days for a PCR test.
Anna S

This is precisely why the Govt held off using RATs for so long, because they're unreliable. It's not new ...
Robert H

The Govt held off because they can't make a decision. The world moved on long before NZ. At least RATs put the responsibility back on us as citizens.
Richard F

Wasn't it National and Act pushing and pushing for RATs to be used over PCR. The Govt get no thanks for doing the right thing, looks like their hesitancy to move to RATs was a good decision recommended from the experts, which apparently are all quacks too. However RATs are the only choice now with too many tests needing to be done. Fortunately Omicron not as severe as other variants or we would be screwed, thanks National, you would be a great government, not.
Richard N

And people like Mike Hoskings who have been screaming almost daily for the past two years for New Zealand to open up, move on, get back to normal, and just let it rip, because you know, all the other countries have gone back to normal and are getting on with their lives so we should too. And Omicron has now been allowed to "just let it rip" here, and look at all the empty supermarket shelves, the people off work, the businesses closed, the hospitals full that we are all seeing. Letting rip is a return to normal? Hello, I don't think so. Imagine if we had done that with the earlier variants? We would have had all the disruption we are now seeing plus all the deaths and the long Covid too. And for what?
David B

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