Rapid self-tests and point-of-care testing are also available and can offer a faster and less expensive method to test for the virus although with a lower accuracy. Test analysis is often performed in automated, high-throughput, medical laboratories by medical laboratory scientists. Because SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs days after exposure (and before onset of symptoms), there is an urgent need for frequent surveillance and rapid availability of results. This variation has likely significantly impacted reported statistics, including case and test numbers, case fatality rates and case demographics. Individual jurisdictions have adopted varied testing protocols, including whom to test, how often to test, analysis protocols, sample collection and the uses of test results. It is used to assess disease prevalence, which aids the estimation of the infection fatality rate. They are less useful for diagnosing current infections because antibodies may not develop for weeks after infection. Antibody tests (serology immunoassays) instead show whether someone once had the disease. Molecular tests for viral presence through its molecular components are used to diagnose individual cases and to allow public health authorities to trace and contain outbreaks. The two main types of tests detect either the presence of the virus or antibodies produced in response to infection. The US CDC's COVID-19 laboratory test kitĬOVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2.
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