From the New England Journal based on FDA recommendations
Ed note: Soon we will have RDTs sent to us if we’ve requested them. If you have symptoms, for sure test yourself or get tested at one of the sites available. But what if you just had an exposure? The following guidelines should be helpful.
| “When should an RDT be performed in an asymptomatic person with a known exposure to SARS-CoV-2? |
| In persons with exposure to SARS-CoV-2, testing is generally not useful in the first 48 hours after exposure, since the virus will not have achieved a sufficient viral load. The most appropriate window for testing is generally considered to be 5 to 7 days after exposure, which is the average peak of symptoms and viral load. For a two-test strategy, which is the FDA-approved indication for most RDTs for asymptomatic screening, a second RDT should be performed 2 days after a negative test.” |