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(CNN) -
The coronavirus tests in the United States are below where they were at previous points in the pandemic.
However, health officials are working to get those numbers back up.
In a discussion Tuesday organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said there are plans to expand testing capacity in the United States and that they are underway. research to improve access to these.
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At a White House Covid-19 Response Team briefing on Monday, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the federal government has communicated to states that it is prepared to help increase the ability to test.
"Last week we reiterated to all governors that we are ready to help them respond to this moment, whether through more testing, increased treatment, access and acceptance of vaccines or other specific needs of each state," he said.
The 7-day average of retesting is now just over 584,000 per day, up from over 1.5 million per day six months ago and about 900,000 per day a year ago, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. from USA
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Dr. Patrick Godbey, president of the College of American Pathologists, agreed that more testing is needed.
"I think more evidence is a good thing, for many reasons. One of the important things to remember is, first, that bad information is worse than lack of information," Godbey told CNN.
"When we talk about tests, we must remember that not all tests are the same. And we must have reliable and accurate tests. That has always been, and continues to be, critical to dealing with this pandemic. The basic question is, do you have it or do you have it? no? Only a good test can answer that question. "
Testing at this stage of the pandemic takes many forms, including home testing done alone or with a virtual assistant, or a test administered by a doctor or pharmacist.
The "gold standard" of covid-19 testing is an rt-PCR test, a type of nucleic acid amplification test that detects viral RNA.
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PCR testing is what the CDC uses to assess community positivity rates, or the percentage of positive tests in a community, which is typically a county.
"A person's risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection is directly related to the risk of exposure of infectious people, which is largely determined by the extent of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the surrounding community, "the CDC said in its latest guideline for covid-19 prevention strategies.
The agency uses the percentage of positive PCR tests in an area combined with the weekly number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people to assign communities a level of transmission that ranges from low to high.
Transmission levels are then incorporated into decisions about covid-19 mitigation efforts in an area.
PCR tests are also what Godbey would get in a scenario where he is a vaccinated person concerned about having been exposed to COVID-19.
"I would like a nucleic acid amplification test. I would like it to be done in a laboratory close to home so that I can get the results quickly," he said.
According to guidelines released last week by the CDC, people vaccinated against COVID-19 should be tested three to five days after "known exposure" to the virus.
The guidance is a change from the agency's previous recommendation that vaccinated individuals do not need to be tested for COVID-19 after exposure unless they are symptomatic.
"The advantage of getting a vaccine is keeping you from getting seriously ill. It doesn't mean you can't harbor the virus for some time. And to keep the spread down, it's important that you get tested," Godbey said.
Godbey said that some available testing options, such as self-administered over-the-counter tests, can present accuracy issues.
To obtain an accurate result, the person being tested should follow the instructions "meticulously", and even then, environmental factors can interfere.
"If you buy it, put it in your car in Atlanta and then leave it in the car for a while, it gets to be over 100 degrees in the car. That can affect the accuracy of the test. Those that need to be shipped, you have to be careful how they are shipped, "he said.
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