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There is not enough testing in this country. Why is there not enough testing?
Watch this interview with CEO of Decode Genetics in Iceland (Kari Stefansson): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-04-23/iceland-s-crazy-plan-to-stop-the-coronavirus-test-everyone-video
“What surprises me the most is that we do not have [widespread testing] in the United States. What we are doing here in Iceland is what we learned in America. You have this unbelievably resourceful nation. You have the 25-50 best universities in the world.”
The interviewer says that there does seem to be a will among universities to solve this problem, and wonders if perhaps it comes down to a supply issue, ie reagents.
Answer: “I am buying my reagents from the United States.”
“It is a complete lack of coordination. There seems to be a complete inability to take advantage of the fact that in an epidemic like this, everyone wants to contribute.”
“It is a complete lack of coordination. There seems to be a complete inability to take advantage of the fact that in an epidemic like this, everyone wants to contribute.”
To recap: 1. they’re using techniques they learned from the US and 2. regarding reagent shortages, they just don’t get it because they're buying them from the US.
Now, watch this clip with Dr. Michael Osterholm with University of Minnesota (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy): https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-dr-osterholm-we-re-missing-the-mark-in-a-big-way-right-now-on-testing-82581573553?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_mtp
Dr. Osterholm makes two major points: 1. the US govt is NOT working with the private sector in solving the reagent issue AND 2. they are also washing their hands of oversight of testing.
Meaning: there’s a shortage of quality tests and sh*tty tests are ubiquitous. He calls it the “wild wild west.”
These sh*tty antibody tests are giving about 50% false positives. Can you imagine how damaging it is for people to think they’re immune/not infectious and behaving in public accordingly?
Dr. Osterholm says that there is no clear direction from the US govt to private companies on testing: “There’s far too much happy talk. There’s not enough ‘what do we need, what is it going to take to get us there, and how are we going to do it?’”
There is no strategic plan.
I understand that Iceland and the US are like apples and oranges when it comes to widespread testing - their population is only around 364K. But it really seems to me that at every opportunity to make headway here in the US, there is bungling and inaction. WHY?
Let’s just recap what’s happened with testing thus far (JUST TESTING, NOT ALL THE OTHER INSANE PROBLEMS WITH THE RESPONSE).
January 21: It’s announced that we have a test, and it’s been used to confirm the first known case of COVID in the US. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/t0121-Telebriefing-Coronavirus.html
February 8: Two weeks later, it’s discovered that…it doesn’t work. The only test kit available in the US does not work. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2020/04/03/coronavirus-cdc-test-kits-public-health-labs/?arc404=true
There actually IS a test that works at this time, from Germany. This is protocol is NOT used as a stop-gap until our test is fixed. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/06/coronavirus-testing-failure-123166
Weeks drag on, and the CDC does not fix the test or release instructions on how to get their defected test to work. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2020/04/03/coronavirus-cdc-test-kits-public-health-labs/?arc404=true
February 26: More than a month from the time that the (non-functioning) test is announced, a fix is finally announced. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/27/809936132/cdc-fixes-issue-delaying-coronavirus-testing-in-u-s
At this point, community spread has been in the US, UNCHECKED, for nearly 2 months. Let that sink in. There was community spread from at least early January through the end of February, with no testing. None. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-23/morgues-hold-key-to-early-spread-of-coronavirus
February 29: the US has run approximately 3999 tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2020/04/03/coronavirus-cdc-test-kits-public-health-labs/?arc404=true
February 29: S. Korea, who had their first confirmed case the same day as the US, has run: 80,000 https://www.voanews.com/episode/south-korea-tests-coronavirus-drive-through-clinics-4207401
Two weeks later (March 14), S. Korea has tested 248,000 and is testing 10K/day https://www.propublica.org/article/how-south-korea-scaled-coronavirus-testing-while-the-us-fell-dangerously-behind
The US? 19,000 total. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/14/815727231/opinion-early-coronavirus-testing-failures-will-cost-lives
Six weeks later (now): not enough tests, no plans on the federal level to get enough tests, no plans on the federal level to ensure that the tests we have are any good, and happy talk about this being behind us by Memorial Day. 55K Americans gone forever.
Ohio is trying very very hard. And I am extremely grateful for that. But we are all only safe and healthy if these steps are taken on a national level. This HAS to be done on a national level. https://twitter.com/saradannerdukic/status/1253772821182009344?s=20
It's not impossible, as you can see. Where there is a will, there is a way. Other countries are doing it. Some states are doing it. There is no will from this administration. None.
