Is this test enough to confirm 100% sure the presence or the absence of the herpes?

Herpes is a common viral infection and many people with herpes may not have any symptoms or confuse it for another skin condition. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may include tingling, itching, pimples or lesions.

Testing for herpes is an important tool in effectively managing it. The most reliable testing tool is the culture test, which requires a swab of the active herpes sore as soon as there is an outbreak. The swab result would confirm if the lesion was caused by herpes or not.  Knowing that you have herpes can help you manage the symptoms and help prevent transmission to partners.

Serology tests can detect herpes antibodies, but it is not 100% reliable with low specificity and high false positive rate.  A positive IgG result does not distinguish if the infection was acquired recently or in the past, nor does it tell us where on the body the outbreak occurred (mouth or genital areas).

Since swab test is helpful in both diagnosis and treatment, consulting a clinician when you have an outbreak is the best way of confirming an HSV infection.

Hope you find this helpful.