system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Do we need new Covid tests kits for every strand of mutations?

How do rapid lateral flow tests detect Covid? Are they targeting a specific strain/mutation? Do we need to changes the tests kits for every mutation?
gpt
Imagine this way. 

You develop a test to tell if something is a car. 
After you develop the test people start to make sports cars, boxy cars, two door cars, etc. 

Chance are you can still detect what a car is. Even though some cars go faster, look different, etc. 

When we test for Covid we generally either are replicating the viruses genetic information or checking the body for antibodies. And these generally don’t change enough to prevent the tests from working. 

BUT it could depending on how big of a mutation is. So generally no. But potentially yes.