Category: Laboratory Medicine
What Patients Can Learn With Confidence From One Negative Rapid Test (Hint: Very Little)
There are just so many variables. Testing may come either too soon, before enough virus is present to detect, or too late, after a person has already spread the virus to others. And most rapid tests, even according to their instructions, are meant to be used in pairs — generally a day or two apart — for increased accuracy. Despite that, a few brands are sold one to a box and, with the tests sometimes expensive and in short supply, families are often relying on a single screening.
What to do if you test positive for COVID-19
Anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or known exposures should get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection.
At-home COVID-19 tests: Why they should be on your shopping list
Planning to get together with family and friends? Whether you’re traveling or hosting, you should consider adding at-home COVID-19 tests to your checklist.
Rapid tests play a crucial role in curbing COVID-19 infections – especially as people gather for the holidays
Covid antigen tests are easy to use and provide results quickly, typically within about 15 minutes.
Why I Still Believe Covid-19 Could Not Have Originated in a Lab – Viewpoint
Lab escape theories cannot clearly account for a virus that has evolved for human-to-human transmissibility.
Over-the-counter rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 can help slow the spread of the delta variant – here’s when to use them
Rapid antigen testing makes it much easier to get tested for COVID-19, which helps detect infectious cases before they spread. But many people are still unsure of how best to use these tests and whether they are accurate enough to be useful.
‘Devastated and sad’ after 36 years of research — early detection of ovarian cancer doesn’t save lives
Of all women’s cancers, ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate
Avoid unusual pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, King County health officials warn
Reputable COVID-19 testing options are available across the county, which provide free testing with rapid and highly accurate results.
U.S. COVID-19 Testing Drops Dramatically
The drop could hamper epidemiologists’ ability to spot and stem new surges of the deadly infection.
Gene Screenings Hold Disease Clues, but Unexplained Anomalies Often Raise Fears
Many genetic findings are ambiguous, leaving doctors uncertain about whether a particular variant is truly dangerous.
No, soaring COVID-19 cases are not due to more testing – they show a surging pandemic
Rather than being an artifact of changes in testing policy, the rise in cases reflects ongoing transmission and serious illness.
Patients admitted to hospital with higher COVID-19 levels more likely to die in next 30 days, UW study finds
Patients who had already made antibodies against the virus on admission tended to have lower virus levels and may do better, the findings suggest..
America Doesn’t Have a Coherent Strategy for Asymptomatic Testing. It Needs One.
The lack of consistent asymptomatic testing guidelines means that from state to state, county to county, a hodgepodge of strategies are being used.
Despite recent CDC advice, Washington state recommends COVID-19 testing of close contacts
People with symptoms of COVID-19 or who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 should make testing their first priority.
Controversial Antigen Tests Could Be Key to Defeating COVID-19
Many say rapid result tests could help fix the nation’s COVID-19 testing shortage — a problem that has hobbled public health efforts to control the virus.