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Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020

Do researchers caution against overreliance on ‘rapid’ tests for the coronavirus?

Esther Tsvayg, Gigafact
yes

The Food and Drug Administration has approved six "rapid" coronavirus tests for emergency use, and they are being used, for example, to screen air travelers and event participants (as at the White House). Based on data so far, they are more likely to fail to detect the presence of the virus than lab tests that usually take longer to process.

Researchers think that even if imperfect, large-scale use can help monitor risks from the virus across the population. Health authorities caution that a negative result from a single test is not conclusive, and does not eliminate the need for other preventative measures such as masks and social distancing. "The White House outbreak is a very good illustration of the limitations of rapid testing," MIT Technology Review said. "But it should not deter us from the strategy entirely—we just need to use the technology properly."

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