Testing Demand Declines Across 22 States—And Experts Aren’t Quite Sure Why

TOPLINE

The number of Americans getting tested for the coronavirus has slid in recent weeks even as states have increased testing capacity, according to new reports, puzzling local health officials and leading experts to guess that many Americans are frustrated or don’t see the point in getting tested, despite symptoms.

KEY FACTS

key background

Last month an executive at Quest Diagnostics, the largest laboratory company in the U.S., said that it would be impossible to keep up with the current form Covid-19 testing once fall flu season hit, and said alternatives to the nasal swab tests “need to be found.” One alternative is antigen tests, which produce results much faster, though can be less accurate. Instead of testing for the virus’s genetic code like current Covid-19 tests, antigen tests search for proteins attached to the virus. Researchers at Harvard have proposed low cost at home Covid-19 tests that are similar to strep throat or flu tests, where the one would spit on a specially coated strip of paper which would change color if the proteins were detected. Though the tests are only accurate up to 50%, some Harvard researchers argue that the strip tests, which people could administer themselves at home everyday before work or school, may be able to uncover up to five times the amount of cases that the current approach and more accurately locate outbreaks.

big number 8.

That’s how many states are doing enough testing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to the New York Times.

tangent

In light of the severe delays in test results and the lack of a federal testing policy, a bipartisan group of 6 governors announced an agreement with the Rockefeller foundation on Tuesday to purchase 3 million “rapid point-of-care” Covid-19 tests that would be able to deliver results in 15 minutes. The consortium is working with two companies, Becton Dickenson and Quidel to produce the tests.

further reading

Virus Testing in the U.S. is dropping, even as deaths mount (Associated Press)

As coronavirus testing expands, a new problem arises: Not enough people to test (Washington Post)

America Needs to Radically Rethink Our COVID-19 Testing Approach (Time)

With No National Testing Strategy, 6 States Agree To Buy 3 Million Rapid Coronavirus Tests (Forbes)

Quest Diagnostics Warns That Meeting Covid-19 Test Demand Will Be Impossible During Flu Season (Forbes)

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