Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter he has tested both positive and negative for COVID-19 after taking four rapid antigen tests.
Experts have long cautioned that such rapid tests are not as reliable as others at diagnosing the coronavirus. There are other tests, including one called PCR, widely seen as the "gold standard." Musk has gotten one of those, too.
Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020
On Twitter, Musk said there was "something extremely bogus" going on with his initial results. He took four tests after experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, and received two positive results and two negative results. He is now waiting for his results from the more accurate PCR tests.
The high-profile executive has downplayed the risks of the coronavirus pandemic, including making an infamous prediction that the U.S. would have close to zero cases by the end of this past April.
He also railed against lockdowns that affected the Tesla plant in Fremont, Calif., calling them "fascist" and "not democratic."
On Thursday, the U.S. reported more than 150,000 new cases of the virus as the pandemic makes a resurgence across the country.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
