Can We Test Our Way Out of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Frequent, low-cost, universal testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with quarantine of those with a positive result has been suggested as a strategy to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. Specifically, home or community use of tests that use paper strip detection devices, which may have reduced sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2, has been advocated. There are several potential challenges or problems with this strategy, including the limited availability of such tests, consequences of incorrect test results, difficulties with adherence to testing, and the questionable accuracy of such tests for detection of infectious people. Because of these, we think it is premature to strongly advocate for such a testing strategy, as the adverse consequences may outweigh any benefits. High-quality outcome data demonstrating the efficacy of this testing strategy are needed before widespread implementation.
['Pettengill|Matthew A|MA|', 'McAdam|Alexander J|AJ|']
D000073640:Betacoronavirus D000086382:COVID-19 D000086742:COVID-19 Testing D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques D018352:Coronavirus Infections D006801:Humans D008403:Mass Screening D058873:Pandemics D011024:Pneumonia, Viral D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic D000086402:SARS-CoV-2 D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity D014481:United States
COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2