The NBA will give covid-19 tests to US communities 0:39
(CNN) - Rapid coronavirus test results are "very important" to implement the public health measures needed to control covid-19, World Health Organization officials said Monday at a news conference. in Geneva.
"It is very important that when you do a test, you have the answers to that test quickly," said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO chief technical officer for coronavirus.
Unfortunately, he said, there are many parts of the world where it takes a long time to get test results.
"We need people to know if they have this virus, so that we know what actions should be taken," said Van Kerkhove.
Once someone has been confirmed to be infected with the virus, whether they have symptoms or not, they should isolate themselves, and knowing that they are infected means contact tracing can be done.
"This is what breaks the transmission chains," said Van Kerkhove. "If we have results in four or five days, even more, that will not help us."
Having rapid tests in progress is a good thing and will help control efforts, he said.
Van Kerkhove also noted that WHO teams are working with partners around the world to quickly assess rapid tests to see how well they perform, and whether they give accurate results.
Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, reiterated the importance of rapid test results.
"Adjusting the time from test to confirming patient status is most important," he said. "There is no point in having a test result a week later, when public health action is delayed."
In places where there is limited capacity in the labs, Ryan said, "You should focus on trying to detect suspicious cases, confirm those cases, isolate those cases, quarantine contacts, and ... take all necessary action."
He called this the most efficient use of evidence at the present time.