Repeated and rapid tests can paralyze the Coronavirus within a few weeks



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A new study from the University of Colorado and Harvard University has confirmed that testing half of the population weekly using cheap and rapid coronavirus tests will push the virus towards elimination within weeks, even though these tests are significantly less sensitive than tests. standard clinical.

The authors stated that such a strategy can lead to “personal requests to stay at home” without closing restaurants, bars, retail stores and schools.

Frequent corona tests
Frequent corona tests

The lead researcher said, “The big conclusion we got is that when it comes to general health, it’s better to do a less sensitive test with today’s results rather than a more sensitive test with tomorrow’s results,” rather than telling a everyone to stay home until they are sure. That sick person doesn’t spread it, we can only give infected people the order to stay at home so that everyone else can live their own life. ”

For the study, which was published in a journal Advances in scienceThe researchers looked at the available literature on how viral loads rise and fall within the body during infection, when people tend to experience symptoms, and when they become contagious.

When it comes to suppressing spread, they found that frequency and response time were far more important than test sensitivity, for example, in a big city scenario, a twice-weekly spread test with a quick test but less sensitive reduced the score for the virus by 80%.

But the test twice a week with a test PCR The most sensitive, which takes up to 48 hours to return results, only reduces the infection by 58%, this is because about two-thirds of infected people have no symptoms and, pending results, continue to spread the virus.

The study demonstrates the power of repeat testing in shortening the pandemic and saving lives, and the study comes at a time when companies and academic research centers are developing fast, low-cost tests that can be published in large public places. or marketed for use alone.

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