This is when you should be tested for COVID after Thanksgiving

Although public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have urged Americans to avoid travel during the holiday season, some people have decided to continue with their Thanksgiving plans as usual. If you’ve celebrated the holidays with people outside your home, it would be wise to take a COVID test after Thanksgiving.

If you don’t get tested at the right time, you risk missing the infection altogether, so when it comes to COVID testing after Thanksgiving, you need to go at the right time. For expert advice on when to get tested, read on, and to find out what your results could mean for your future travel plans, you can’t enter these 8 states without a negative COVID test. .

When should I get tested for COVID after Thanksgiving?

Family doctor Harris cohen, MD, points out that “the strong science-based recommendation is that family and friends don’t get together for Thanksgiving.” However, if you are going home for the holidays, you should take a COVID test “five days after possible exposure,” Cohen says. And for one test misconception to drop, check out the myth of the COVID test that you have to stop believing in, according to the epidemiologist.

Why do I have to wait five days to take a COVID test?

The timing of your COVID test is crucial to getting an accurate diagnosis. Harvard Health says that if you are tested on the day you are infected – say Thanksgiving – your test will almost certainly be negative, “because there aren’t enough virus particles in your nose or saliva yet to be detected. ” To get the most accurate results, experts suggest waiting until the fourth or fifth day after possible exposure to get tested.

“The chances of getting a false negative test result decrease if you get tested a few days after getting infected, or a few days after you develop symptoms,” says Harvard Health, which gives the test the highest chance of ‘be precise.

A study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine in August examined the false negative rates in the days following exposure. The study found that on the fourth day of infection, which is usually right before symptoms start, the chance of getting a false positive from a COVID PCR test was 67%, but this dropped to 38% on day 5, which is usually when symptoms start. Eight days after exposure, the test has only a 20% chance of showing a false positive.

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Therefore, the five to eight day window after exposure is the best time to get a COVID test with the most accurate results. While you are waiting for the test, you should quarantine yourself in case you have COVID. And for more useful information straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

What type of COVID test should I take?

Cohen suggests taking a PCR test. It is the most widely used COVID test, which is performed using a nasal swab. PCR tests work “by detecting genetic material of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the nose and upper throat,” according to MIT Medical. These tests can be found at walk-in clinics, emergency care centers, hospitals, and drive-thru testing centers. And for more on the future of coronavirus management, here are the side effects of the COVID vaccine that doctors are concerned about.

What should I do if my COVID test comes back positive?

The first thing you should do after finding out that your COVID test is positive is to contact anyone you saw on Thanksgiving and tell them to quarantine and take a COVID test immediately. You should also start your own quarantine in your home away from other people for at least 14 days. The CDC suggests that you stay hydrated, take over-the-counter medications to improve symptoms, wash your hands and surfaces often, and monitor your condition. And for symptoms to watch out for, these 4 easy-to-miss symptoms could mean you have COVID, experts say.