False positives are a concern when doing rapid testing for Covid-19, but not as much as one would think.
Since the introduction of rapid tests many have been concerned about getting a false positive test. Previously, getting a false positive would result in the need to go an get a swab for a PCR test and wait for official results from Public Health.
A study was done over the course of last year looking into the rate of rapid tests giving false positives.
January to October 2021 there were over 900,000 rapid tests completed. There was a 0.15 per cent positivity rate, and only 0.05 per cent of false positives.
During this study, all of the incorrect tests came from a bad batch of test strips from Abbott’s Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device.
Other than these bad test strips, false positives could stem from when they are taken; ie testing too early or too late in the infectious stage.
More details about the study can be read about here.
