Mass. doctor on accuracy of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests
Updated: 7:37 PM EDT Oct 6, 2021
TESTING AS WE HEAD INTO THE HOLIDA.YS ERIKA: THOSE NEW RAPID TTSES COULD BECOME MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. WITHIN WEEKS. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. DANIEL KURITZKES, CHIEOFF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. GREAT TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU. BEN: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THESE RAPID AT-HOME TESTS? I WILL ADTMI I USED ONE JUST OVER THE WEEKEND. MY SON WOKE UP WITH A RUNNY NOSE AND WE GAVE HIM ONE. WE HAD ONE IN THE HOUSETO, MAKE SURE HE WAS NOT POSITIVE FOR COVID. IT WAS NEGATIVE. ARE THEY EASY TO USE? >> I TNKHI THE TESTS ARE EASY TO USE AND THEY HAVE AN APPROPRIATE PLACE IN TESTINGOR F COVID. BASICALLY, YOU JUST DO A SWAP OF THEOS NE OR SOME SALIVA -- SB OF THE NOSE OR SEOM SALIVA AND IT’S PRETTY EASY TO READ THE TEST AT HOME. THEY ARE BEST AT RULING IN COVID-19 IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE SYMPTOMS. THEYRE A NOT AS ACCURATE IN RULING OUT COVID-19 IF YOU GET A NEGATIVEES TT. AND THEY CAN GIVE FALSE POSITIVE RESULTS. YOU WANT ANY POSITIVE TEST CONFIRMED BY A PCR TESTS. ERA:IK WE KNOW THECR P TESTS ARE CONSIDERED THE GOLD STANDARD. THEY CAN TAKE HOURS, IF NOT DAYS TO PROCESS. SHOULD YOU BE BACKING UP THESE AT HOME RADPI TESTS WITH THOSE PCR TES?TS >> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. IF YOU GET A POSITIVE RESULT, YOU WANT TO HAVET I CONFIRMED. YOU CAN THEN TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES. IF YOU HAD A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT, YOU COULD REDO THE TEST IN A DAY OR O TWIF THE SYSTEMS PERSISTED. THE MORE TIMES YOU TEST,HE T LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO CONTINUOUSLY GET A NEGATIVE TEST . PEOPLE HAVE TO BE AWARE THESE TESTS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE IN CERTAIN SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF TRAVEL, WHERE EYTH ARE ASKING FOR A NASOPHARYNGEAL DPEE NOSE SAMPLE TESTED BY PCR. BEN: WE WANT TO ASK ABOUT SOME OTHER TEST RESULTS THAWET RECEIVED FROM THE STATE. IN THE PAST WEEK, MORE THAN 3700 RESIDENTS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAST WFE MONTHS, INFECTIONS ANGMO FULLY-VACCINATED PEOPLE ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 1/3 OF NEW COVID CAS.SE YSA 35%. HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THAT NUMBER? WHEN I POST THIS DATA, IT SEEMS AWFUYLL HIGH WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW CASES. >> IT IS CONFUSING. UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S HARD TO REALLY G AET GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THIS WITHOUT GOING TOOAR F INTO THE MATH, BUT PEOPLE CAN TAKE HOME LESS THAN% 1 OF VACCINATED PEOPLE HAVE BECOME INFECTED WITH COV.ID AND THE REASON THE NUMBERS ARE HIGH IN TERMOFS CASES IS BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED. IF% 1 OF 4.5 MILLION PEOPLE GET COD,VI THAT’S ABOUT 40,000 CASES AMONG THE VACCINATED. AMONG THE UNVACCINATED, THE RATE OF BECOMING INFECTED IS MUCH HIGHER. 4 TO 5 TIMES GREATER, AT LEAST, FOR UNVACCINATED PEOPLE. WE ARE NOW SEEING VACCINE PROTECTION IN THE STATE OF ABOUT 90%, FOR PREVENTING INFECTION THAT LEADSO T SYMPTOMS, AND MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF PREVENTING HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH. ERIKA: DOCRTO, IT’S BECAUSE WE ARE SO VACCINA
Mass. doctor on accuracy of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests
Updated: 7:37 PM EDT Oct 6, 2021
PCR tests, which can take over 24 hours to process, are considered the gold standard of COVID-19 testing. Brigham's Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes explains the accuracy of rapid at-home tests."I think the tests are easy to use and I think they have an appropriate place in testing for COVID that basically you just do a swab of the nose or some saliva, and then it's pretty easy to develop the test and read the result at home," Kuritzkes said. "The challenges that they are best at ruling in COVID 19 in people who have symptoms," Kuritzkes said. "They're not as accurate in ruling out COVID 19 if you get a negative test and they can give false positive results."Kuritzkes said you would want any positive tests confirmed by a PCR test. "I think people also have to be aware that these tests may not be acceptable in certain settings, especially for certain kinds of travel, where they really are asking for a nasal pharyngeal, you know, deep nose sample tested by PCR," Kuritzkes added.
BOSTON — PCR tests, which can take over 24 hours to process, are considered the gold standard of COVID-19 testing.
Brigham's Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes explains the accuracy of rapid at-home tests.
"I think the tests are easy to use and I think they have an appropriate place in testing for COVID that basically you just do a swab of the nose or some saliva, and then it's pretty easy to develop the test and read the result at home," Kuritzkes said.
"The challenges that they are best at ruling in COVID 19 in people who have symptoms," Kuritzkes said. "They're not as accurate in ruling out COVID 19 if you get a negative test and they can give false positive results."
Kuritzkes said you would want any positive tests confirmed by a PCR test.
"I think people also have to be aware that these tests may not be acceptable in certain settings, especially for certain kinds of travel, where they really are asking for a nasal pharyngeal, you know, deep nose sample tested by PCR," Kuritzkes added.