The idea is that when used widely and frequently, the detectors, similar to a home pregnancy test, could stop outbreaks before they begin. Such countries as Germany and the U.K. have invested heavily in the tests, making them available cheaply, or even free. Others, including the U.S., have stuck with a more sensitive laboratory test that often must be administered by trained personnel and can take days to return results, depending on the lab’s processing capacity. “I’ve just been banging the drum about this really simple tool that frankly, could have prevented the outbreaks of last winter,” says Mina. “It could have—especially when we had no vaccines—saved hundreds of thousands of lives.” Rapid testing may finally be having its moment. Even in countries with plenty of vaccine supply, policymakers are coming to the realization that shots alone might not be enough to stop the virus, especially its more infectious delta variant. President Joe Biden said on Sept. 9 that he would spend $2 billion on 280 million rapid tests, and his administration announced an additional $1 billion purchase this month—part of a group of measures that officials say should quadruple the number available for home use by December. It’s not enough, but it’s a start, Mina says. Mina likes to compare the rapid technology to fire engines at a burning building, while the laboratory test is emergency responders arriving to a building after it’s burned down to embers. In other words, the rapid tests are good enough to catch what they need to, picking up the people who are likely more infectious. Modeling he’s done shows that twice-weekly rapid testing is effective at stopping significant viral spread, even if only half the people do it, and some mess up the test or it simply fails.So while rapid tests may not be perfect, they can play an important role in helping businesses—and by extension, entire economies—chart a path back to normalcy. In one of the first randomized clinical trials, same-day screenings paired with N95 face mask. NN: We are at the end of the line in test kits. Maybe we will have them for the next 2 weeks. We are at the end of the line. Now is the time to stock up. Testing is your last line of defense for you and your loved ones. The antivirals you are hearing about ONLY work in the first few days of infections…. We test everyday here. At the least you should test twice a week…