Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there have been joint efforts to try and contain the virus and in the long run, also eradicate the same. Scientists all over the world had to learn how they could test for the coronavirus. We’ve seen multiple tests such as the PCR tests which examine the genetic material of the virus and also the antigen tests which look for a protein that is part of the virus. The tests have enabled great masses of people to get tested for the virus even in remote areas where it had not been imagined to be possible. However, the test for coronavirus has faced numerous challenges. The following are such challenges.
The first challenge during test for coronavirus is false negatives. While quite a huge number of people have been diagnosed with the deadly virus, there have been several instances where people have been declared to be free of the virus while in real sense they have the virus. This has been most common with the PCR tests which have given false negatives from 2%-37% of all the tests analyzed at a given time. Most of which have been in people who are still in the early stages of the virus.
The second challenge during the test for coronavirus is inadequate supplies for reagents. The coronavirus pandemic had economic effects on almost every country in the world. Hospitals were not spared, they were brought to their knees. Governments directed funds towards the purchase of hospital beds, ventilators, and medicine. As such it was difficult to ensure a balance between the procurement of hospital supplies and procurement of test reagents.
Another challenge during the test for coronavirus is unwilling individuals. Not once have we not seen anti-mask protests worldwide. Many people were defiant to getting tested for the coronavirus.
For more information on challenges in the test for coronavirus, visit our website at https://www.harleymedic.co.uk/