Fever present but antigen test result is negative
Disease description:
If you already have a fever, will the antigen test result be negative or positive?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Guo Xiheng
A negative antigen test result despite having a fever indicates that the patient may not have COVID-19 or that the test result is incorrect. Since there are many possible causes of fever, a negative result can occur if the infection is caused by a pathogen different from the one being tested for. Additionally, improper test procedures may lead to inaccurate results, including false negatives. Moreover, testing when the viral load in the body is low may also yield a negative antigen result; in such cases, retesting after some time is recommended, as the result may become positive once the viral load increases.
