testing

COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples that indicate the present or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The two main branches detect either the presence of the virus or of antibodies produced in response to infection. Tests for viral presence are used to diagnose current illness and to allow public health authorities to identify and contain outbreaks as quickly as possible. Antibody tests instead show how many people have had the disease, including those whose symptoms were minor or who were asymptomatic, but may not find antibodies in someone with a current COVID-19 infection since antibodies may not show up for weeks. An accurate disease mortality rate can be determined from the results of this test. Another use of antibody tests is to identify individuals whom the antibodies have rendered immune to the disease, together with the level of herd immunity in the population, although research has yet to confirm in the case of COVID-19 that a positive test confers such immunity.Individual jurisdictions have adopted a broad range of testing protocols. They vary in choosing whom to test, how often to test, analysis protocols, sample collection and the uses of test results. This variation has likely significantly impacted countries' reported statistics, including case fatality rates and the age distribution of cases, due to sampling bias. Testing is often performed in automated, high-throughput centralized medical laboratories by medical laboratory scientists. Alternatively, point-of-care testing can be done in physician's offices, workplaces or transit hubs.

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