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Scaling up rapid screening tests for COVID-19 is well within reach. They can help keep the virus at bay until a vaccine is available. My piece in The @ConversationUS explains. 1/10 https://theconversation.com/rapid-screening-tests-that-prioritize-speed-over-accuracy-could-be-key-to-ending-the-coronavirus-pandemic-143882
Rapid screening tests are cheap, easily mass produced and don’t require laboratory processing. They can be implemented anywhere. They make it possible to test many people regularly, including those without symptoms. Contagious people could be flagged early. #RapidTestsNow 2/10
This works just like thermometer-based screening during the SARS and Ebola epidemics. We need a better screening method for COVID-19 since about 40% of cases show no symptoms. 3/10 https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/congress-coronavirus-testing/2020/08/06/716e1ad0-d66d-11ea-aff6-220dd3a14741_story.html
There are a many COVID-19 screening tests in late stages of development that cost a few dollars and take ~15 minutes. The most versatile option is the saliva-based paper-strip test. @michaelmina_lab @KatherineJWu 4/10 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/health/rapid-Covid-tests.html
Frequent testing catches the vast majority of cases. Someone who slips through the cracks is likely to be caught the next time. It’s like bailing a boat with a leaky bucket -- you just have to bail more quickly. @DanLarremore @michaelmina_lab 5/10 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.22.20136309v2
Screening tests with moderate accuracy can slow transmission, as long as results are interpreted correctly. They're a big improvement over having no info. Antigen testing is good at catching contagious cases: false positives may be infected, but are unlikely contagious. 6/10
The weather report can’t tell you with certainty whether it will rain, but it can tell you whether to bring an umbrella. By design, screening tests sacrifice accuracy where it matters *least* to achieve low costs, speed and ease of use. 7/10
A screening test must have a *consistent* rate of false positives and false negatives verified by @US_FDA or another government agency so the user can correctly interpret their likelihood of having COVID-19 given their test result. 8/10
Multiple companies are ready to scale up production of screening tests. The main barrier is the delay in government approval. We need the @US_FDA or other government agency to create new approval pathways specifically for screening tests and speed the process. 9/10 #RapidTestsNow
Rapid screening tests will make it easier for the U.S. to get back to in-person school and work safely, even without a vaccine. It is no exaggeration to say that these innovative screening tests are game-changing. How’s that for a ray of hope? 10/10. #RapidTestsNow
