I asked about a PCR swab that I had done on lip lesion that I had. This swab came back negative. I went in the next morning after I noticed it at night. I also used a Vaseline chapstick on lips the night before and possibly that morning but can’t remember if I did that morning. 

So the swab is negative because there was no virus detected on the lesion but not because Vaseline might have interfered with the test? 

I kept looking online and seeing makers of the test itself saying that things like Vaseline can interfere with sample collection and recovering virus and products like this should not be applied at least 48 hours prior. 

Terri

Do you have anything to say on why the makers of the test would say it could interfere? 

And if you had swabbed a patient who later told you they had Vaseline on the area, it would not concern you for a false negative? 

I would not worry if someone use vaseline prior to a swab, no

Do you think this link stating that ointments and creams and such is just being overly conservative? 

The lesion I had came up after I peeled my lip. Would you typically be able to peel a herpes lesion in the beginning stages? 

Herpes lesions do not peel in the beginning or any other stage

Terri