DO WE STILL NEED TESTS?
COVID-19 vaccines are here and being rolled out around the world, so why do we still need rapid testing?
Rapid testing is the only way to remain vigilant against new variant outbreaks and spreading of the virus during seasonal trends which hit in waves. While current vaccines continue to work very well against severe cases of the disease, it is becoming increasingly clear that the world’s current vaccines have limitations. The front line antibody response offered by mRNA vaccines, much like the flu vaccine, has been shown to wane after several months, and scientists have noted a decline in vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infections because of that.
Rapid tests can help save thousands of lives by making frequent, easy, affordable testing the norm for individuals who may unintentionally spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Rapid antigen tests look for the virus’s proteins and detect infectious levels of virus, even if the subject is not experiencing any symptoms at all.
New guidance from the U.S. CDC allows vaccinated individuals to stop following social distancing guidelines and to remove masks in some settings. Despite the progress made, we believe that rapid testing can provide an easy way to ensure COVID numbers don’t spike once again. Regular rapid testing can allow infectious people to know they are infected and isolate quickly, to keep from spreading the virus to others.
The Aloha Protocol is a COVID-19 vigilance testing plan that was originally designed in 2020 with travelers and Hawaii’s tourism economy in mind. It was shown that a flexible protocol of regular tests, taken across a period of days benefited travelers, schools, workplaces, and more.
The use of sequential rapid tests helped to create safe environments that enabled a full reopening of the economy.
Healthcare professionals and disease experts are in agreement: rapid and regular testing can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and new variants of the disease. Research studies from both Harvard University and Yale show that 1. rapid result time is far more important than sensitivity, 2. frequency of testing is far more important than sensitivity, and 3. screening with rapid, regular testing protocols could drive down infections close to zero.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, 50% of Covid-19 transmission occurs prior to symptom onset, and some 40% of infections remain asymptomatic throughout. On average, an infected person reaches peak infectiousness between days 4-6 after exposure, but with the lack of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, SARS-CoV-2 is still being transmitted at high rates.
Rapid testing kits enable affordable testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 and stem the spread.
Utilizing rapid tests, the Aloha Protocol can be readily adapted for groups of people who are in positions at high risk of exposure or for those who may have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus through close contact.
Under the Aloha Protocol, individuals test at regular intervals over a course of days. With a negative test result reported, that person is able to move freely, going to school, work, traveling, attending events, etc. A positive test result allows the person to immediately isolate and schedule further medical diagnostics or doctor’s visits.
With a mass-scale availability of affordable, rapid tests, everyone who is high-risk can get tested: medical professionals, students and teachers, travelers, particularly those who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. The Aloha Protocol will allow for persistent early testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 with the objective of allowing schools, airports, and businesses to operate with confidence while stemming the exponential threat of unchecked viral spread.
