PAHO urges effective use of coronavirus tests in the region. Experts explain about several and ask to pay attention to the home ones.
The great wave of infections that the world is experiencing due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus has caused a vertiginous increase in tests and in some cases this has caused a shortage of some.
In this scenario, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) this week called for the “rational” use of tests and discouraged home tests, but other experts value them.
“Priority should be given to suspected cases, that is, symptomatic individuals caught at different levels of care,” said Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO’s incident manager for COVID-19.
For asymptomatic people who have been exposed to COVID-19, or think they have been, he advised them to self-quarantine “whenever possible,” and to follow distancing measures, wear masks and avoid gatherings so others don’t get sick.
Josefina Coloma, an epidemiologist and researcher at the University of Berkley, comments that we are all already familiar with the terms tests for COVID-19, such as molecular, antigen, antibodies, but within them there is a range of types of tests, which causes confusion about their use and when to apply them. This is complicated by the scarcity of tests globally due to the current demand.
Vaccination, reinforcement, masks and ventilation tests are important.
Gabriel Trueba, from the Institute of Microbiology of the San Francisco de Quito University, says that in case of being in contact with an infected person, without a mask, for about 15 minutes and in a closed place, one could assume that they are infected and should wait in isolation. a week for a test.
He adds that the antigen test helps to know if a person is positive about two days before presenting symptoms. While the PCR could detect it a day earlier due to its sensitivity to the RNA of the virus, but after the symptoms it could continue to be positive for a while in rare cases.
Regarding rapid or home tests, specialists affirm that they are useful, although it is necessary to be certain of their origin.
“In various countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries, these cost between
$1 and $3 or are free and given to families for self-monitoring. This week in the US, a program began for the free delivery of five tests per family per week, ”says Coloma, who adds that before starting college or university classes after the holiday, all children have to take this test.
He also thinks that this is a way to empower people and educate them on how to use them, such as isolating oneself if there are symptoms and repeating it in two days if it is negative. He believes that in the following months there will be a global shift in its use. (I)
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