The new coronavirus antigen displays a line in two to three minutes

The COVID-19 antigen test displays a line in two to three minutes, which usually means the test result is negative, indicating that the person being tested has not been detected to be infected with the novel coronavirus. However, this result needs to be interpreted with caution and may be affected by multiple factors.

As a rapid screening method, the principle of COVID-19 antigen detection is to detect the presence of virus surface proteins in nasal swab samples. When a colored band appears in the C area of ​​the reagent card but no color appears in the T area, it is a negative result, which generally indicates that the subject is not infected. However, improper operation, such as irregular sampling, insufficient sample size, etc., may result in false negatives, so the operating instructions must be strictly followed.

In addition, the following points should be noted:

Antigen testing has a window period problem. It may not be detected when the infection is new or when the viral load is extremely low, so a negative result cannot completely rule out infection. possibility.

If only the T area of ​​the reagent card develops color or the C area does not develop color, the result is invalid and needs to be retested.

Although antigen testing is convenient and fast, its accuracy is slightly lower than nucleic acid testing. If you have any doubts, the nucleic acid testing results should prevail.

When a positive result occurs, the subject should immediately take isolation measures and seek medical help. Treatment drugs may include acetaminophen tablets to relieve fever symptoms, Qingyan Dropping Pills to improve throat discomfort, and dextromethorphan hydrobromide oral solution to relieve coughs.

No matter what the outcome is, the public should maintain awareness of protection, such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and avoiding gatherings, etc., to jointly maintain health and safety.