There are three outcomes possible from the testing.
- Positive - testing positive for the virus means that the sample provided contains SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. This result could be returned even in the absence of symptoms.
- Negative - this result means that the sample provided does not contain detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. However, you could have been previously infected by the virus and you could be infected at a future date.
- Inconclusive - this result means that the test results did not meet the requirements to be reported as a positive detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in the sample, and should be treated clinically as Not Detected. However, this also means that there was partial detection of a signal from SARS-CoV-2 that warrants notification under duty of care for further investigation. Re-testing in these cases is recommended.