Key TakeawaysAt-home rapid antigen tests can be used to detect the BA.5 variant of COVID-19, according to experts.To get themost accurate COVID test results, you need to follow the instructions exactly and test multiple times over a few days.The BA.5 variant spreads easily. If you are infected, you might be able to spread it to other people before you have a positive COVID test—even if youdon’t feel sick.

Key Takeaways

At-home rapid antigen tests can be used to detect the BA.5 variant of COVID-19, according to experts.To get themost accurate COVID test results, you need to follow the instructions exactly and test multiple times over a few days.The BA.5 variant spreads easily. If you are infected, you might be able to spread it to other people before you have a positive COVID test—even if youdon’t feel sick.

The Omicron BA.5 variant—the strain of COVID-19 that’s currently dominating in the United States—is good at evading immunity from both vaccines and previous COVID infection. There’s also concern that rapid at-home antigen tests are less effective at detecting the variant, too.

When Omicron first hit in late 2021,the FDA said that antigen tests do detect the variantbut that the tests may have reduced sensitivity.

COVID Test SensitivtyAdiagnostic test’s sensitivityis a measure of how often it shows a positive result when a person really is sick.If a COVID test has low sensitivity, it means there’s a higher chance it will give a negative result to people who are sick (false negative).

COVID Test Sensitivty

Adiagnostic test’s sensitivityis a measure of how often it shows a positive result when a person really is sick.If a COVID test has low sensitivity, it means there’s a higher chance it will give a negative result to people who are sick (false negative).

Adiagnostic test’s sensitivityis a measure of how often it shows a positive result when a person really is sick.

If a COVID test has low sensitivity, it means there’s a higher chance it will give a negative result to people who are sick (false negative).

Researchers have been trying to figure out how well rapid tests spot an Omicron infection. They’ve concluded that whileat-home COVID testscan pick up Omicron variants—including BA.5—there are some key steps that people need to take to get an accurate result.

What We Know About Omicron BA.4 and BA.5

Are Rapid Tests Ready for BA.5?

Phyllis Kanki, DVM, DSc, a professor of health sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Verywell that “studies conducted—including our own—showed that rapid antigen tests maintained their ability to effectively detect Omicron.”

Since BA.5 is part of the Omicron family, Kanki said it’s not been anticipated that at-home tests will be less effective.

When Should You Get Tested After a COVID-19 Exposure?

Nathaniel Hafer, PhD, an assistant professor of molecular medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, agreed with Kanki, adding that antigen tests can detect BA.5 because of how they are designed.

Hafer said that the test strip on rapid tests has antibodies on it, which are made in the lab. They’re just like the antibodies we have in our bodies that recognize foreign compounds—otherwise known as antigens.

“Those antibodies are designed to bind to parts of the virus,” said Hafer. “Typically, they are binding to what’s known as the nucleocapsid protein, which is one of the most common proteins that’s in the highest abundance in the virus.”

While the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated withOmicron variants, Hafer said that the nucleocapsid tends to mutate at a relatively low rate. In other words, the antigen tests can spot the nucleocapsid found in BA.5.

Can COVID-19 Tests Detect the Omicron BA.2 Variant?

How BA.5 May Affect Rapid Tests

While experts say thatat-home COVID rapid testscan detect BA.5, there are some key things to be aware of before you test if you want to ensure you get an accurate result.

For example, with the new variant, some people have reported having COVID symptoms and testing negative with a rapid test for a few days before getting a positive result. Others say that they’ve tested negative for two days in a row, only tobecome positiveon day three.

Hafer said there are a few reasons why this could be happening. First, it can take a few days for the COVID virus to build up in the body.

“There can be a period early in the infection where the virus is present, but it’s not present at high enough levels to be detected on these kinds of tests,” said Hafer, adding that this is particularly true when somebody isfirst showing symptoms, or when they’ve justbeen exposed to somebodywho is COVID positive.

PCR teststypically show a COVID infection one to two days before a rapid test does because they’re more sensitive.

Since BA.5 is highly transmissible and can jump from person to person before they show symptoms, it could be a few days before someone develops obvious symptoms and tests positive.

Another reason that Hafer cites has to do withwhere the COVID virus is in the body. The Omicron variants seem to be more in the throat than the nose, which could affect the sampling technique of antigen tests.

What You Need to Know About the Omicron BA.2.12.1 Subvariant

How to Use Rapid Tests for BA.5

For any strain of COVID, the key to getting a reliable result from a rapid at-home test istaking it the right way. According to Kanki, “the accuracy of the rapid tests requires that the instructions for the rapid tests be followed completely.”

Hafer adds that this means if a test’s package says to use a nasal swab, don’t take it upon yourself toswab in a different way.

Taking more than one rapid test also improves accuracy. Hafer said that many of the tests are designed to beused in sequence—for example, taking two tests 24 to 48 hours apart.

What to Know About Omicron BA.5 Reinfections

Research has shown that serial testing multiple times per week increases the accuracy of rapid tests.Hafer said that this is because “especially early on, there can be that period of virus increasing in the body.”

Once you’ve taken a test and gotten results, Hafer said to “wait another 24 to 48 hours before you do a second test.” According to Hafer, the results of those “two tests together have the combined accuracy, in many cases, of a PCR test.”

Kanki adds that at-home rapid tests are very good at detecting the virus during the highest peak of virus replication (usually when a person shows symptoms).

The bottom line? If you follow instructions and take two or more tests in sequence over the course of a few days, you can probably rely on the information you’re getting.

“The tests still detect Omicron,” said Hafer. “And so people should feel confident that they’re working, and that they can trust the results.”

What This Means For YouAt-home antigen testscan detect BA.5. However, to get accurate results, experts advise that you follow the test directions to the letter and take multiple rapid tests a few days apart.

What This Means For You

At-home antigen testscan detect BA.5. However, to get accurate results, experts advise that you follow the test directions to the letter and take multiple rapid tests a few days apart.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Quest Diagnostics.Understanding sensitivity and specificity.Jüni P, Baert S, Corbeil A, et al.Use of rapid antigen tests during the omicron wave.Sci Briefs Ont COVID-19 Sci Advis Table. 2022;3(56). doi:10.47326/ocsat.2022.03.56.1.0Smith RL, Gibson LL, Martinez PP, et al.Longitudinal assessment of diagnostic test performance over the course of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Infect Dis. 2021;224(6):976-982. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab337

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Quest Diagnostics.Understanding sensitivity and specificity.Jüni P, Baert S, Corbeil A, et al.Use of rapid antigen tests during the omicron wave.Sci Briefs Ont COVID-19 Sci Advis Table. 2022;3(56). doi:10.47326/ocsat.2022.03.56.1.0Smith RL, Gibson LL, Martinez PP, et al.Longitudinal assessment of diagnostic test performance over the course of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Infect Dis. 2021;224(6):976-982. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab337

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Quest Diagnostics.Understanding sensitivity and specificity.Jüni P, Baert S, Corbeil A, et al.Use of rapid antigen tests during the omicron wave.Sci Briefs Ont COVID-19 Sci Advis Table. 2022;3(56). doi:10.47326/ocsat.2022.03.56.1.0Smith RL, Gibson LL, Martinez PP, et al.Longitudinal assessment of diagnostic test performance over the course of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Infect Dis. 2021;224(6):976-982. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab337

Quest Diagnostics.Understanding sensitivity and specificity.

Jüni P, Baert S, Corbeil A, et al.Use of rapid antigen tests during the omicron wave.Sci Briefs Ont COVID-19 Sci Advis Table. 2022;3(56). doi:10.47326/ocsat.2022.03.56.1.0

Smith RL, Gibson LL, Martinez PP, et al.Longitudinal assessment of diagnostic test performance over the course of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Infect Dis. 2021;224(6):976-982. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab337

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