WHO has updated its guidance on testing strategies to account for a wider range of situations in countries, including the circulation of more transmissible variants, and the use of new tests.

Timely and accurate diagnostic testing is an essential tool in preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19. The updated guidance describes recommendations for national testing strategies and the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid antigen tests in different transmission scenarios of the COVID-19 outbreak, including how testing might be rationalized in low resource settings.

All testing should be followed by a strong public health response including isolating those who test positive and providing them care, contact tracing and quarantine of contacts.

Read the guidance document: Recommendations for national SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies and diagnostic capacities

About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.