With new varients on the rise, regular Covid-19 testing is the only way to normalcy.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since the emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019, early 2020, discussion of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has dominated media outlets and held public attention in an unprecedented manner. Updates from scientists have been received in real-time as teams of researchers work tirelessly to understand the disease, advise best practices for keeping communities safe, and develop treatments. Inevitably, this process of discovery has led to some confusion as recommendations have occasionally been revised, and in some cases, reversed. Even now, nearly two years later, there is lingering uncertainty over best practices. While we may not yet have all the answers, some actions have since proven themselves quite useful in reducing spread of the disease. Routine COVID-19 testing is one such example.

To understand how and why routine testing works, it is critical to first understand the testing itself. Currently, COVID-19 tests fall into two broad categories: viral tests and antibody tests. Viral tests are more common and are primarily used to diagnose a current infection. Molecular viral tests detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus by means of RNA (i.e.- genetic material of the virus) isolation. Antigen viral tests work via detection of antigens (i.e. -certain proteins unique to COVID-19) on the surface of the virus. Antibody tests, in contrast, are not used for diagnosis of a current infection. Instead, they detect antibodies the immune system has created in response to an infection which may no longer be active. Though both viral and antibody tests can provide useful information in tracing disease spread, viral testing is the superior option for reducing potential spread.

The reduction of disease transmission associated with viral testing stems from the information these test results provide, namely identifying individuals as either COVID-19 positive or negative at a given moment in time. It is certainly advisable that anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms isolate and get tested to avoid spreading the disease. This action alone greatly reduces transmission. There are, however, a number of people that experience asymptomatic infection (displaying no symptoms) or who may be still early in their infection and are capable of spreading illness but do not yet know they are contagious. It is these latter two cases which contribute greatly to community spread and for which routine viral screening tests are most illuminating.

The CDC recommends serial COVID-19 testing as a means of reducing spread of the virus, particularly in regions of high community transmission, or close quarters like schools, business, and universities. Though frequency of testing may vary based on specific circumstance, it is generally advisable to test individuals in these settings at least once a week. This allows for early detection of illness (should it arise) and fast containment.

Evidence supports that frequent testing is critical to containing potential COVID-19 outbreaks. Universities employing routine testing (among other mitigation strategies), for example, have reported low rates of transmission.

Accordingly, businesses across the U.S. have dedicated themselves to providing accessible, routine COVID-19 testing to education institutions, business, and the public alike. Virus Geeks is among the bio health organizations who have answered the call and is proud to serve all members of the Bay area in need of testing. We are committed to keeping our community safe and well informed by sharing best practices and making adherence to them simple.

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