In the fight against viral transmission, consistent testing is key
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that the adage ‘the only constant is change,’ remains true. During the past several months, people all around the world have adapted to a new normal, making practical adjustments to their daily lives to limit exposure and transmission of COVID-19. The healthcare community is also pivoting, undertaking mass testing programs on an unprecedented scale.
There is no parallel for testing of this magnitude in our lifetime, but we can look to the recent and ongoing HIV and Hepatitis C epidemics for examples of how consistent testing is the first line of defense against viral transmission. It should be noted, however, that HIV and HCV testing programs have also been heavily impacted by COVID-19, and the great strides that have been made in ending the epidemics are at risk if vulnerable populations do not have access to testing.
HIV remains a persistent public health issue for Americans, with more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. living with HIV today, and about 14% unaware of their infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the number of HIV diagnoses has been decreasing, many vulnerable populations are still heavily affected by HIV each year.
With regards to HCV, 2.4 million people in the U.S. live with chronic HCV infection, with 4 in 10 unaware of their infection, according to the CDC, whose data shows the annual rate of reported acute hepatitis C infection tripled from 2009 to 2018. Often noted as a silent epidemic because of its low public profile, untreated HCV can lead to chronic liver issues and even be deadly. HCV is curable, so point-of-care screening for the virus is crucial to connecting patients to treatment and reducing community transmission.
OraSure Technologies provides innovative, easy-to-use and scalable point-of-care diagnostic tools that help detect HIV and HCV. The OraQuick® rapid point-of-care platform allows providers to continue addressing these public health threats anytime, anywhere – even during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- The OraQuick ADVANCE® Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test is a rapid HIV test, offering several specimen types, including fingerstick whole blood and oral fluid. With oral fluid testing, providers can perform an HIV test while respecting social distancing guidelines, mitigating potential exposure to COVID-19 for provider and patient.
- The OraQuick® HCV test is the only point-of-care hepatitis C test indicate US market today, detecting HCV antibodies in fingerstick and venipuncture whole blood.
- When utilized together, both tests form the OraQuick® rapid point-of-care solution. Providers can receive two highly-accurate results from one fingerstick in as little as 20 minutes with a simple CLIA-waived three-step process. This also allows providers to batch tests, enabling more people to get tested, reducing indirect costs and improving turnaround time.
OraSure is a proponent of the democratization of testing and the importance of making reliable testing available to all, which provides people with powerful ownership over their own health information. Ultimately, all people deserve access to accurate diagnostics and treatment regardless of ZIP code or income level. For those affected by HIV and HCV, this means continuing to test those who need and want it, even throughout a pandemic, and linking them to care if the test is positive.
Please head to orasure.com/smm to learn how OraSure can help you End the Epidemics with the OraQuick rapid point-of-care platform and see how OraSure can help partners continue testing programs despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sidebar:
Did you know that there is significant federal funding available to organizations across the United States to help end the HIV and HCV Epidemic? Email us at endtheepidemics@orasure.com for more information.