COVID-19 rapid tests still work against new variants – researchers keep ‘testing the tests,’ and they pass

Research shows that rapid antigen tests are performing as well at detecting the most recent dominant variants as they did with the earliest strains in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apurv Soni, Assistant Professor of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School • conversation
March 1, 2024 ~7 min

Rapid COVID-19 tests can be useful – but there are far too few to put a dent in the pandemic

In September, production of rapid tests really ramped up in the US. But due to low accuracy and massive numbers needed, these tests alone are unlikely to have much of an effect on the pandemic.

Katherine Ellingson, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona • conversation
Dec. 1, 2020 ~8 min


How to use COVID-19 testing and quarantining to safely travel for the holidays

Over the approachin holidays, people around the world will want to travel to see friends and family. Getting tested for the coronavirus can make this safer, but testing alone is not a perfect answer.

Claudia Finkelstein, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Michigan State University • conversation
Oct. 23, 2020 ~8 min

Rapid screening tests that prioritize speed over accuracy could be key to ending the coronavirus pandemic

Testing large numbers of people regularly would reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the US. Laboratory testing is slow and expensive, but rapid screening tests could be the answer.

Zoë McLaren, Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
Aug. 14, 2020 ~9 min

Random testing in Indiana shows COVID-19 is 6 times deadlier than flu, and 2.8% of the state has been infected

A team of researchers from Indiana University performed random testing for SARS-CoV-2 across the state. The results offer some of the most accurate data to date about important aspects of the virus.

Nir Menachemi, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University • conversation
July 21, 2020 ~11 min

Group testing for coronavirus – called pooled testing – could be the fastest and cheapest way to increase screening nationwide

Screening multiple samples with a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies. Two health policy researchers explain how it works and how it could help the U.S.

Erin Trish, Associate Director, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics, University of Southern California • conversation
July 2, 2020 ~8 min

Rapid home-based coronavirus tests are coming together in research labs — we’re working on analyzing spit using advanced CRISPR gene editing techniques

Testing for coronavirus has been a fiasco in the US. But now companies are developing super fast tests, including ones that might eventually be as simple as at home pregnancy tests.

Piyush K. Jain, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida • conversation
May 20, 2020 ~10 min

Coronavirus tests are pretty accurate, but far from perfect

Expanding coronavirus testing is one of the most important tasks public health officials are tackling right now. But questions over accuracy of the two main types of tests have rightly caused concern.

Maureen Ferran, Associate Professor of Biology, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
May 6, 2020 ~10 min


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