How Confident Can You Be in a Coronavirus Test?
Things like which kind of test it was, and the reason for taking it, should factor into how much credence to give a positive or negative result.
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In mid-November, David Piegaro tested positive for the coronavirus. His results came too late.
The night before, Mr. Piegaro, a member of the National Guard, drove to New Jersey to visit his family after receiving two negative rapid test results, two days in a row. By the next morning, he had left. But the single overnight stay was enough to spread the virus Mr. Piegaro was unknowingly carrying to multiple members of his family, including his grandfather, who ended up spending two weeks in the hospital.