Without the test, there is no way to know where the pandemic is heading and whether vaccines are working. And there is no way to make use of one of the most important tools in the fight against infectious diseases: contact tracking.
“It will help us to track the real impact. Are we really seeing a reduction in cases?” she said. Tests can also help to track variants.
The United States has recorded an average of about 1.5 million Covid-19 tests per day in the past few days, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.
This is about 26% less than the average in mid-January, when the U.S. peaked at an average seven-day peak of more than 2 million tests reported on January 15. The rate started to rise again, but only slightly.
She added that although infection rates have dropped, they are still high and, in some places, higher than in the summer.
Daily reports from the White House Covid-19 team’s community profile track various indicators, including tests.
In terms of test fees, a seven-day daily average of at least five tests for every 100 people is ideal. But in a report published this week, only five states reached that limit in a seven-day period, placing them in the “dark green” category: Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and Alaska.
Eight states were in “red” or “dark red”, which meant that there was less than one test for every 100 people. The states in this category were Oklahoma, Missouri, South Dakota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, California and Georgia.
With the current spread of the infection, Hayden said she does not think the country is in a place where she can relax general strategies and reduce testing.
The test is also an important tool for reasons beyond diagnosis, including determining quarantine requirements and tracking the evolution of the pandemic, Humphries said.
“I think one of the biggest messages is to the public: if you have symptoms, it is very important that you go, get tested and determine whether it is positive or not,” said Humphries.
What is being seen in the labs and in the data is a reduction in the number of people who come for testing based on symptoms, according to Humphries.
What is happening in the “red” and “dark red” states
California has had one of the biggest drops in exam rates since mid-January, according to federal data. The state health department said the test volume had declined for the fifth consecutive week. The seven-day average dropped to about 181,000 tests per day from about 230,000 tests per day.
The California Department of Public Health asked labs that highlighted a decline in orders for PCR tests in recent weeks and found that supply was not a factor. Instead, people are simply not being tested.
In Oklahoma, people just don’t look for the test, Travis Kirkpatrick, Oklahoma State Department of Health’s deputy commissioner, told CNN.
He attributed this to several factors, including a high rate of vaccination in the state, warmer weather and a drop in hospitalization rates and cases. Kirkpatrick also thinks his state is experiencing some fatigue from Covid.
“We continue to offer tests. We continue to find ways to expand the tests,” he said. “There are a number of ways we can try to continue to drive testing from a policy perspective, from a public health perspective and then offer it. But the lack of test numbers, I think we attribute much more to the appetite of than anything else. ”
It is not yet time to sound the alarm, Kirkpatrick said, but his department is wary of people thinking they don’t need to be tested. He said Oklahoma will continue to invest in testing, calling it its best surveillance tool.
How “dark green” states get there
In Vermont, one of five states where testing still has high rates, the emphasis on contact tracking is a big help, said Tracy Dolan, deputy commissioner of public health for the Vermont Department of Health.
In addition, the test is used to help people get out of quarantine early, Dolan told CNN.
“In the beginning, we created some policies that are more aggressive than the CDC,” she said.
“The state has a strict travel quarantine policy, and the best way to get out is to test it as soon as possible. It definitely encourages people ”.
Vermont also prioritized testing from the start, Dolan said, making it widely available and free. Most places in Vermont are a 30-minute drive from a test site, and most locations are open seven days a week. The state pulls in extra test resources when there are outbreaks and has a “constant” surveillance test.
Local health officials promote the test through targeted social media if there is an increase in cases and communities and leaders support the test from the start, Dolan said.