Due to Sharp Drop in COVID-19 Tests... "Early Detection of New Variants Becomes Difficult"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

As the number of COVID-19 tests worldwide has sharply declined, concerns have been raised that it has become difficult to detect the emergence and spread of new variants early.

According to the Associated Press and others on the 10th (local time), experts estimate that the number of COVID-19 tests globally has decreased by 70-90% since the first quarter of this year. While new highly transmissible variants are spreading in the United States, South Africa, and other countries, raising concerns about a resurgence, it is analyzed that sufficient testing capacity should be secured, but the reality is otherwise.

Krishna Udayakumar, a researcher at Duke University's Center for Global Health Innovation, said, "The current testing volume has not even come close to the necessary level," adding, "to identify the emergence or spread of a new wave, testing must be increased."

In the past two weeks, the average daily number of tests in the United States was 73,633, which is a 40% increase from before, but excluding self-tests whose results are not reported to health authorities, the testing volume is still far from sufficient. Researchers at the University of Washington estimate that more than 500,000 people are infected daily, but only about 13% of these cases are reported to U.S. health authorities.

In this regard, Bill Rodriguez, CEO of the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), recently pointed out at a World Health Organization (WHO) briefing that "unlike in the past when variant viruses were detected, new variant viruses may not be identified."

This problem is analyzed to be more severe in low-income countries. According to FIND, a Geneva-based health NGO in Switzerland, the number of tests per 1,000 people in high-income countries is about 96 times higher than in low-income countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.