Rapid Tests

This week more than 50 leading physicians and scientists published a letter in support of frequent rapid antigen testing. rapidtests.org/expert-letter

some fairly straightforward regulatory reforms would encourage widespread, cheap, at-home testing for future pandemics progress.institute/how-at-home-ra…

If you would like a good answer to this practically important question that nobody knows the answer to, please retweet this poll! @michaelmina_lab @NathanGrubaugh @DrBlytheAdamson @EricTopol @ashishkjha @joshgans @Bob_Wachter @awyllie13

In the US, rapid tests like the BinaxNOW still cost $24 for a 2-pack. In Germany, you can buy a rapid test for $2. dm.de/gesundheit/cor…

@peonysniffer In general, symptoms are not a good indicator of infectiousness.

@peonysniffer Figure 2 and 4 in this paper are pretty relevant. But for lots of people (particularly vaccinated), symptom onset precedes meaningful infectiousness. For others, symptoms last for days after infectiousness stops. nature.com/articles/s4159…

@RapidTests can anyone point me to research that looks at relationship between symptoms and viral shedding?

Agree w/@BillGates call for faster drugs, but in novel pandemics, this will still take *months* W/exponential growth, we need to contain spread right away Rapid test platforms that can be configured to new pathogens within *weeks* could do this (1/3) nytimes.com/2022/04/15/opi…

Thanks to @jamescham who after my post (joshuagans.substack.com/p/we-need-to-a…) came up with a nice diagram of potentially what is going on following the vaccine.

Large-scale implementation of rapid antigen testing system for COVID-19 in workplaces science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… Our new paper in Science Advances on @cdlscreening

Confused about rapid tests? The federal government launched a website so that people in the US can order free at-home antigen test kits @Tan_Shelly breaks down how reliable these tests are and what your next move should be if you’re looking to get tested. washingtonpost.com/health/interac…

KFF is all over how to get at-home COVID tests today: what private insurers are doing, Medicaid coverage, Medicare coverage, and inequities. kff.org/policy-watch/h… kff.org/policy-watch/m… kff.org/coronavirus-co… khn.org/news/article/b… kff.org/racial-equity-…

House Democrats Introduce Legislation To Make Free At-Home Testing Available For All Americans - beyer.house.gov/news/documents…

COVID-test vending machines are popping up at colleges in the US as omicron spreads miamiherald.com/news/coronavir…

@luscombeland This is awesome!

From the always fantastic @AliceParkNY Nose or throat? The best way to swab for at-home COVID-19 tests ti.me/3I34bVb

Find at-home COVID-19 tests using @FindACovidTest on findacovidtest.org.

As we think through how we are using rapid tests today - we MUST use them strategically! We don’t send troops and guns overseas without a clearly defined strategy and hope to win a battle We send them w a strategy and prioritize the most effective uses nytimes.com/2022/01/11/us/…

People are coming to the ER for rapid tests because they need them early enough to qualify for monoclonal antibody. But we don’t have rapid tests nor antibody in the ER. FYI.

Rapid testing is one of the most effective tools to reduce transmission of COVID. In contrast to many other tests, it is a public health tool that enables people to take the right decision at a difficult time. 1/

medrxiv.org/content/10.110… Happy to share our contribution to the discussion on #antigentests for #Omicron We found no differences in performance for the BinaxNOW in omi vs #delta Remember that analytic sensitivity and clinical sensitivity are 2 different things

IMPORTANT - Please share Many ppl are frustrated that the @US_FDA is telling people not to use a nasal swab as a throat swab Don’t be! You should be thanking them. Seriously, you should. Here’s why: Short Thread 1/