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At-home testing limits Minnesota COVID-19 surveillance

Growth in over-the-counter tests for coronavirus infections has reduced reporting of positive cases amid omicron wave

The popularity of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests has blurred Minnesota's pandemic surveillance, but state officials urge people to use them to identify infections and protect others from the looming omicron wave.

State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said she has seen estimates that two-thirds of COVID-19 tests nationwide involve rapid antigen at-home tests purchased in pharmacies, groceries and even gas stations.

That doesn't mean that two-thirds of infections are found by at-home tests, which people often use as a precaution before visiting family and friends, she noted. But they are reducing Minnesota's count of COVID-19 cases, because the state doesn't collect at-home test results.

https://www.startribune.com/at-home-testing-limits-minnesota-covid-19-surveillance/600132977/

 

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