Why Is COVID-19 Testing So Important?
Why is COVID-19 Testing so Important?
Testing is a crucial step in any disease response because it can help determine the spread, rate of infection, and contagiousness of a given disease. In comparison to China and South Korea, testing in the United States appears to have been insufficient for optimal early containment. As a result, we're now seeing a rapid rise in hospitalizations that is overwhelming public health and clinical care systems. In order to keep up with the rate of infections increased testing is more important now than ever.
A large part of the current problem is the inability to conduct effective contact investigations. These investigations involve figuring out everyone an infected person may have been in contact with. According to the Chief Medical Officer for Prevention, Dr. Eduardo Sanchez of the American Heart Association, this requires a lot of time and labor – two resources that just aren't available in a strained system. It's easy to see how quickly cases can spread without information from contact investigations.
Where has testing been successful?
The success of the countries where the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be under control - China, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore - has been attributed to early testing regimens and the willingness to isolate infected individuals. By testing, treating, and tracking, these countries have identified the most effective strategy to decrease cases. Test extensively, treat by isolating the affected individuals only, and then track through contact tracing all possible infected individuals and isolate them so they cannot further infect others.
In China, authorities initially denied the problem existed until after it had spread. It was only when aggressive testing and stringent isolation policies were imposed that China began to control the epidemic. This actually shows that it’s not too late to begin an effective strategy to control the virus.
Unfortunately, this is something that the US should focus on more. Currently the US is far behind other advanced countries when it comes to testing. According to The Jackson Laboratory, a biomedical research institute founded to discover genomic solutions for disease, as of March 20, 2020, the United States has conducted only 314 tests per million people (with 330 million people) as compared to 12,738 per million for South Korea (with 51 million people). This is a 39-fold difference in testing activity comparing South Korea with the US.
The inaction and substandard initial response to COVID-19 in the US has clearly created major setbacks. It has left us with only one remaining option — to isolate everyone – to close stores, restaurants and businesses, and to force everyone to shelter at home. Commerce stops, and the economy falls. But without robust testing, this is all we’ve got.
What are the biggest issues?
One issue is that many individuals require a quick turnaround and testing generally takes anywhere between 5-7 days for individuals to get results. Services like Same Day Testing in Los Angeles provide fast, accurate, and reliable PCR testing with a 24 hour turnaround. Molecular tests are the most accurate test for COVID-19 and generally have same day turnarounds, but they are generally pretty expensive.
Right now, the prioritization for testing must go to workers who have critical functions in helping our communities fight the COVID-19 pandemic. These are hospital workers, police, EMT first responders, grocery store and cleaning staff, as well as those who work to support critical infrastructure: medical production, COVID-19 research, manufacturers of gloves and gowns. Limiting the spread of the COVID-19 in these populations will ensure the safety of all. However, with new services being offered that make testing more easily accessible, we soon may start to see increasing testing rates and an overall safer population.
To do you part to increase testing rates, visit sameday-testing.com and book your appointment today.
