在家进行的新冠肺炎测试能检测到奥米克隆变异体吗?

是的，但是美国健康官员们表示，早期的数据表明，他们可能不太敏感。

政府对使用家庭测试的建议没有改变。当快速的结果很重要时，人们应该继续使用它们。

美国病理学家学院院长艾米丽·沃尔克博士说:“归根结底，这些检测仍然能检测出新冠肺炎病，不管它是德尔塔、阿尔法还是奥米克隆。”。

政府科学家一直在检查，以确保随着每一个新变种的出现，快速测试仍然有效。本周，食品药品监督管理局表示，初步研究表明，他们检测到了奥米克龙，但可能降低了灵敏度。该机构指出，它仍在研究该变异体的测试结果，该变异体是在11月下旬首次被发现的。

美国顶级传染病专家安东尼·福奇博士说，美国食品和药物管理局希望“完全透明”，指出敏感性可能会降低一点，但测试仍然很重要。

沃尔克说，在家测试有很多好的用途。结合疫苗接种，它们可以让你更放心地与家人和朋友聚会。

如果你接触过一个检测呈阳性但没有症状的人，五天后的快速检测可以很好地表明你是否感染了病毒。如果你不确定你流鼻涕或喉咙痛是新冠肺炎病，这也有帮助。

但是在看结果的时候要考虑背景。沃尔克说，例如，如果你在高感染率的地区去夜总会后感到不舒服，你应该多一点怀疑地看待在家测试的阴性结果。

她说，继续进行聚合酶链反应检测是一个好主意。这些测试更准确，在测试点和医院进行。

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Do at-home COVID-19 tests detect the omicron variant?

Yes, but U.S.healthofficials say early data suggests they may be less sensitive at picking it up.

Government recommendations for using at-home tests haven't changed. People should continue to use them when a quick result is important.

“The bottom line is the tests still detect COVID-19 whether it is delta or alpha or omicron,” says Dr. Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists.

Government scientists have been checking to make sure the rapid tests still work as each new variant comes along. And this week, the Food and Drug Administration said preliminary research indicates they detect omicron, but may have reduced sensitivity. The agency noted it's still studying how the tests perform with the variant, which was first detected in late November.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said the FDA wanted to be “totally transparent” by noting the sensitivity might come down a bit, but that the tests remain important.

There are many good uses for at-home tests, Volk says. Combined with vaccination, they can make you more comfortable about gathering with family and friends.

If you've been exposed to a person who tested positive but you don't have symptoms, a rapid test five days later can give a good indication of whether you caught the virus. It can also help if you're not sure whether your runny nose or sore throat is COVID-19.

But consider the context when looking at results. If you feel sick after going out to a nightclub in an area with high infection rates, for example, you should look at a negative result from an at-home test with a little more skepticism, Volk says.

Following up with a PCR test is a good idea, she says. Those tests are more accurate and are done at testing sites and hospitals.

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