Executive summary: It's wrong not to test: The case for universal, frequent rapid COVID-19 testing

Abstract

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid tests are still unavailable to most of the public. Rapid antigen tests [1], using lateral flow devices, have been proven effective in home and community settings for identifying people who are most likely to be contagious—even in the absence of symptoms—and to empower them to isolate before unknowingly infecting others. Despite empirical evidence from across the world demonstrating the utility of rapid tests, well-intentioned academic discussions about the potential risks of false positives, false negatives, and data reporting issues continue to overshadow a devastating fact: The ongoing failure to widely deploy rapid tests can be measured in the real consequence of mounting infections, economic and social costs, morbidity, and deaths worldwide.