MICHIGAN, USA — A recent peer-reviewed study found evidence that getting tested for COVID midday tends to be more accurate than later on in the day.
A Vanderbilt University study found that people were up to two times as likely to have an accurate positive test result if they tested in the middle of the day compared to at night.
That's based on data that shows the COVID-19 virus shedding may be more active during the day, aligning with your body's circadian rhythm.
Let's dig into the study:
The Hypothesis
Researchers wanted to see if COVID might act differently depending on the time of day due to the body’s circadian rhythms, and if testing results reflected that.
You can read more about the study here.
The Methods
Researchers looked at more than 86,000 PCR tests among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in a regional health care network in the southeastern US from March 2020 to August 2020.
The Findings
The Vanderbilt University study's findings indicate the middle of the day is more likely to produce an accurate result.
Funding
The research for this study was funded by the Research Education Clinic Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, and Pfizer, as well also grants from the VA Office of Rural Health, the National Institutes of Health and Veterans Affairs.
Now What?
More research is needed to duplicate and confirm the findings.
Dr. Liam Sullivan, an adult infectious disease physician at Spectrum Health, says it isn't surprising that humans shed more virus at different times of day as this has been found with other infections as well.
"At this time, it is unclear how this will influence testing going forward. The findings will need to be duplicated before any changes to testing recommendations would be considered," Dr. Sullivan said.
"If the findings are verified by further study, putting this into practice is another matter as there are many factors that come into play when patients can get tested, are willing to go get tested & when testing is available."
If you feel like you've been inundated with studies surrounding COVID-19, you're not alone. Some are credible, others may not be.
So How Do You Tell?
Dr. Peter Jones, Lead Research Investigator with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids says there are key elements that make a study reputable: "Really look at the quality of the journals, and the reputation of the people that are doing the work. Those are two easy things to look for. And also understand that when things are moving really fast that there might be mistakes made. But overall, it's probably going to help in the long run."
3 Things To Look For
- Was the study published in a peer-reviewed journal?
- Was the study supported by federal grants?
- Is the study from a reputable organization?
Dr. Jones goes in-depth with Health Reporter Val Lego on what makes a study reputable.
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