Thread by @bopinion

At as little as $5 apiece, rapid antigen tests have become the frontline tool for governments and institutions to quickly check whether a person may be infected with Covid-19 trib.al/i1474MK

The process is simple: Stick the provided cotton swab up each nostril until you meet resistance, twirl it a few times, and swirl the tip in a small tube of liquid before putting a few drops onto a test strip.

Then wait around 15 minutes for the lines trib.al/1rtTK2t

It’s taken time for governments to accept rapid antigen Covid tests in full.

Their reticence is understandable because RATs aren’t as sensitive as RT-PCR tests, meaning that a positive case may not always be picked up trib.al/1rtTK2t

Today the question is one of balance between returning to normal and restricting movement in order to protect populations trib.al/1rtTK2t

Rapid antigen tests now play an important part of the equation.

RT-PCRs have around 98% sensitivity, which is close to ideal.

The best rapid tests pick up only 90% of cases in people with symptoms, and fewer than 50% for those without trib.al/1rtTK2t

A rapid antigen test is better than no test at all when it comes to sorting who may need to be isolated.

It’s for this reason that authorities around the globe are deciding to offer tests, and even require they be performed trib.al/1rtTK2t

In Australia, state governments recently decreed that school children get tested twice per week in order to attend class in person.

The federal government is promising to provide free tests to pensioners and other low-income citizens trib.al/1rtTK2t

When rapid antigen tests are in abundance we’ll likely see people test themselves voluntarily.

That’s already starting to happen as party hosts and sports groups offer kits as a lure, or requirement, for attendance trib.al/1rtTK2t

Just as people tout their vaxx status on social media, expect more pics of those little plastic kits.

Remember to watch for that second line trib.al/1rtTK2t