Some things to remember about COVID quick tests

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Since leaving a work location that sporadically required it, I haven’t masked anywhere but the doctor’s office in 2022. I did get COVID in July, but it was mild and short-lived illness. So I’m not thinking about it much.

I hope there isn’t a spike this winter. COVID is now endemic, but hopefully it will continue to settle to “occasional nuisance” level for most of us. However, if you find yourself dealing with COVID quick tests for the first time this winter, here are some bullets to remember (and as closely related as these are I feel a little lazy not writing them more cohesively):

  • Read the directions for your test thoroughly before opening anything. Then, follow them exactly.
  • Any line in the test area means you’re infected. The threshold for the line to display is significant. Faint? Infected. Ten minutes to appear? Infected.
  • The intensity of the test line and the time in which it appears both directly correlate to viral load. A dark, rapidly-appearing line means you’re heavily infected.
  • When you’re clear, there will be no line in the test area after waiting the maximum time specified in the test instructions. (No line means totally blank. A line you can barely see is a line. You’re infected.)

Good luck. As far as other things to dodge, there’s RSV running rampant, and of course the flu (though I understand the vaccine is pretty good this year). Get your shot. Don’t lick sinks and doorknobs. Don’t French-kiss people you don’t know.

(And the above is not medical advice. I’m sharing what I learned four months ago and believe to be true. If you have questions, ask your doctor.)

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