You cite studies indicating that iodine spray (of which Betadine is one brand) can make you test negative “at least temporarily,” and say, “Some people do test negative after applying the iodine, but this doesn’t seem that relevant to whether you get better sooner.”
Any thoughts on whether this poses the risk that the spray could temporarily suppress the virus but leave you still infectious a few hours later? (I’m worried about this in the context of testing myself to see if I’m ready to exit isolation.)
I do seem to recall that Roche Pilot rapid antigen tests caution to avoid testing for at least half an hour after using any nasal spray, whereas Flowflex tests have no such guidance and in fact indicate no interactions with iodine. I don’t know what to make of this.
You cite studies indicating that iodine spray (of which Betadine is one brand) can make you test negative “at least temporarily,” and say, “Some people do test negative after applying the iodine, but this doesn’t seem that relevant to whether you get better sooner.”
Any thoughts on whether this poses the risk that the spray could temporarily suppress the virus but leave you still infectious a few hours later? (I’m worried about this in the context of testing myself to see if I’m ready to exit isolation.)
I do seem to recall that Roche Pilot rapid antigen tests caution to avoid testing for at least half an hour after using any nasal spray, whereas Flowflex tests have no such guidance and in fact indicate no interactions with iodine. I don’t know what to make of this.