What the U.S. can learn from India's rapid coronavirus testing efforts
India scaled up its coronavirus testing over a two-month period starting in June by relying on faster, cheaper antigen tests. At first glance, that's a positive development and a strategy the United States is also considering as the pandemic continues, The Associated Press reports. At the same time, however, there's a sense that India has become overly reliant on the antigen tests, which are also less accurate than slower, more expensive lab tests.
The problem isn't the antigen tests themselves since their shortcomings are well understood. Rather, India seemingly hasn't been retesting enough patients who have tested negative even though the country's health officials are recommending the practice, particularly for those who have symptoms. Between June 18 and July 29, court documents reportedly show that in Delhi state only 0.5 percent, or 1,365 of the more than 260,000 people who tested negative, were retested. Plus, there's been a decline in use of more precise lab tests, the figure falling from 11,000 per day to just 5,400.
Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard University's Global Health Institute, said combining data from the two types of tests shouldn't be used to determine that infections are going down in India since using less accurate tests will automatically drive the numbers south, especially if retesting is limited. Going forward, large countries struggling with outbreaks like the U.S. and India will likely need to strike a balance between speed and precision by continuing to rely on accurate lab tests and get retested regularly when using antigen tests. Read more at The Associated Press.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
How much of a blow is ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question Action by Hague court damages Israel's narrative that Gaza conflict is a war between 'good and evil'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
UK gynaecological care crisis: why thousands of women are left in pain
The Explainer Waiting times have tripled over the past decade thanks to lack of prioritisation or funding for women's health
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'The Hum': the real-life noise behind The Listeners
In The Spotlight Can some of us also hear the disturbing sound that plagues characters in the hit TV show – and where is it coming from?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published