We Need Quicker Tests to Contain the Delta Variant
The rise of the delta variant makes testing more important than ever, even among the vaccinated. Rapid antigen tests are the right tool for the job.
Rapid antigen tests like those made by Abbott Laboratories are very good at identifying when people are infectious, and quickly.
Photographer: picture alliance/picture allianceWith the delta variant surging throughout the U.S., Biden administration chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci has advocated for more testing — including for the vaccinated. More testing is essential, but how we test is important, too.
The U.S. is testing fewer people than it did in previous Covid waves, and this is a problem. The now-dominant delta variant spreads so quickly that every missed opportunity to catch an infectious person can lead to many more new cases. In ideal conditions, a person who was sick with the original strain would infect about three others on average. With delta, it’s around seven. To this point, highly reliable PCR tests have been the backbone of U.S. screening. They’re not ideal for controlling outbreaks, though, because results can take days to arrive. Rapid antigen tests, which can deliver results in less than 15 minutes, have been discounted by some because they are a less accurate alternative, but they are very good at identifying when people are infectious. For this reason, they should be given a bigger role as a delta-fighting tool.