If You Think You Have COVID But Your Rapid Test Is Negative, Here’s Why

Last month I had strep throat–level pain while living with two people who were confirmed COVID positive. Yet, several rapid tests kept telling me I was COVID-free.

It’s a confusing experience shared by many as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to spread in the US. At the same time, millions more at-home rapid tests are becoming available. (And by available, I mean there are more of them, but you can’t always find them at your local store. You can order free rapid tests from the government here.)

While PCR tests are...