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FACT BRIEF

Are test kits that don't differentiate between COVID-19 variants the only way to detect a rise in variants?

By Dana Ford
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NO

Routine tests for COVID-19 indicate whether a person is infected by the virus; they don't determine which variants have been detected.

However, it's entirely possible to determine which variant caused a person's infection through genomic sequencing tests. The CDC helps track variants by using this process on samples collected from state health departments and other public agencies.

While it's true that routine tests for COVID-19 don't pick up variants, it's not true that variants can't be detected -- contrary to social media posts.

From the CDC: "Routine analysis of genetic sequence data enables CDC and its public health partners to identify and characterize variant viruses -- either new ones identified in the U.S. or those already identified abroad -- and to investigate how variants impact COVID-19 disease severity and the effectiveness of vaccines, treatment, and diagnostic tests."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control CDC’s Role in Tracking Variants
Centers for Disease Control CDC COVID Data Tracker
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.