BOISE, Idaho — The former ER doctor recently went through his own bout with COVID-19, which produced a negative test right before.
"I had a known exposure; several days later I got a test and I had no symptoms and that test was negative," he recalled. "Two days later, still with no symptoms, I turned positive then stayed positive and then developed symptoms."
Even with a negative test result, Ahlquist was still contagious.
"My own experience was that if I wasn't isolating myself, I was infectious and I was actively spreading the virus, I would've been if I wouldn't been isolating," he said.
PCR tests can produce false negatives. That kind of test is very sensitive and there needs to be enough virus present in order to trigger a positive result.
"You can be tested today like I was on a Thursday and be negative, all that says is on that day there was not enough virus yet in my nose to be positive but I had the virus," he said.
Dr. David Peterman, the CEO of Primary Health, also warns that a negative test doesn't mean someone has the green light to socialize.
"The demand for testing is huge, its gone up considerably."
Dr. Peterman added that Primary Health's COVID-19 testing is returning a roughly 30% positivity rate, with over double the testing volume compared to July.
In July, Primary Health was processing about 300 tests per day. Last week, that number grew to 500 and now they're up to 700 tests per day.
The health group's CEO recommends people shouldn't travel, with or without a negative test.
"The safest approach here is to have your Thanksgiving with the people you live with and been with," he said.