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How common are false-positive COVID-19 tests?

The bigger issue, an St. Luke's ER doctor explained, is there really is no way to tell right now, exactly how common they are.

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BOISE, Idaho — Since March, over 126,000 Idahoans have been tested for COVID-19. Of those, about 11%, or 10,900 have tested positive. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the number be at 5% or less.

208 viewer Analee from Boise texted and said, "I know a couple who have been sick for about a week. Both of them were tested for the coronavirus but only one person's test was positive. My question is, are false negatives common?"

We asked Dr. Kenny Bramwell, an emergency room physician at St. Luke's. He said false negatives or positives can mean different things. The bigger issue, he said, is there really is no way to tell right now, exactly how common they are.

Check out our entire, unedited interview with Dr. Bramwell below.

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