What does the 'diagnostic window' mean?

After you get infected, your body needs some time to react to the pathogen, for example by making antibodies or by the virus multiplying in your blood. Only after a certain time can the pathogen or your body's reaction to it be measured. Before this time, a test might show a false negative, even if you could have been infected.

If you test too early, a negative result can be misleading. You might think you're healthy, even though your body hasn't produced enough "evidence" for the test yet.

Here are the timeframes for when you can get tested: