COVID-19 tests may be more accurate in the afternoon

A new study finds that the accuracy of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 tests follows a daily pattern. The highest number of accurate positive results occur with midafternoon tests, while evening tests increase the number of false positives. The study also suggests that midafternoon is the time of day at which both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals are most likely to pass on the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.