Earl (03-29-2020)
"In late January, soon after a laboratory in Shanghai published the genome sequence of the coronavirus — and around the time Wuhan, China, went into lockdown — a scientist named Benjamin Pinsky began working on a test to identify people who were infected with the virus.
Pinsky is the medical director of the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory and a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. According to his Stanford bio, he spends about 20% of his time “focusing on the design of novel infectious disease diagnostics.” Even though the federal government, starting with President Donald Trump, seemed remarkably sanguine about the prospect of a pandemic sweeping the country, Pinsky thought the coronavirus was likely to become a problem for the U.S.
“I didn’t know how severe it would be,” he told me. “I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”
The World Health Organization had published a working version of a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test — commonly known as a PCR test — which uses snippets of genetic material to diagnose a virus. Tests based on the WHO data were already in widespread use in China. In South Korea, the government drug ministry was corralling biotech companies, telling them to begin working on tests based on the same data.
Pinsky also relied on the WHO protocols as he developed a PCR test. By early February, he had a test that he thought would work. And then he, and Stanford, waited, for weeks. That was all they could do until the federal government gave them the go-ahead to begin using it to diagnose the disease in patients.
For all its scientific know-how, the U.S has lagged behind in testing thanks to a combination of government hubris, incompetence and bureaucratic rigidity. Even now, there aren’t nearly enough tests being performed. According to the Covid Tracking Project, fewer than 500,000 tests have been done nationwide in March. It’s not even close to being enough.
If you want to understand why, Pinsky’s effort is as good a place as any to start. A scientist in a lab sees what is happening in China and takes it upon himself to develop a test — just in case. He adapts the WHO protocols to the specifics of his lab and the materials available to him (every lab is different, after all) and his test is ready to go in a matter of weeks.
With much less urgency, the federal government also begins working on a PCR test. But unlike Pinsky — not to mention most of the rest of the world — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decides not to follow the WHO’s protocols. Nobody knows why. Instead, the CDC develops its own test, which all the nation’s labs will then have to replicate. But when it sends out 200 test kits to 100 labs in February, many of them don’t work. The CDC then promises to quickly come up with new tests, but one day stretches into three and then 10. Finally, in late February, the agency essentially throws up its hands and loosens its restrictions on clinical labs to develop their own tests. Alas, by then it is way too late. "
"“For the entire month of February, the only place you could get a test was from the CDC,” he told me. “The U.S. and South Korea both had their first diagnosis on the same day. For the entire month of February, the U.S. conducted 472 tests. South Korea conducted 70,000. They were doing thousands every day, while the U.S. was doing zero.” The clear reason is that the South Korean government was proactive from day 1, while the Trump administration sat on its hands."
Why the U.S. Still Can’t Do Enough Coronavirus Testing - The country continues to suffer from a combination of government hubris, incompetence and bureaucratic rigidity.
South Jersey’s first county-run coronavirus test site opens, but with slots for only 160 (They should have tens of thousands...)
"Shortly before the first appointments at 1 p.m., several vehicles waited in a line before being allowed to enter the drive-through, two-bay garage where they would be swabbed by medical personnel in personal protective equipment. There was a large police presence at the property to keep out anyone who didn’t have an appointment."
"Conaway also said that he hopes eventually people with lesser or no symptoms will be able to be tested because widespread testing and contact-tracing is the key to reducing the spread or preventing further outbreaks. But for now, priority has to be given to the sicker residents or those who are most at risk."
If they only have 180 Test Kits a day they can run through that pretty quick. That's not enough to know how far the virus has gotten in a large community.
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Earl (03-29-2020)
Many states are still restricting testing to only the most narrow qualifications. They simply lack the capability to perform massive testing such as in S Korea.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Earl (03-29-2020)
Just because DT said we were rolling out massive testing doesn't mean we really have.
It is still severely restricted in many places due to lack of test kits.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Earl (03-29-2020)
Many drive-thru testing centers have been opened, but it is a sad joke. Most people are turned away. Nobody can just drive up and get a test without an appointment. There are so few test kits that appointments are reserved for only the most at-risk cases. More people are being turned away. They just don't have enough test kits.
"Huntsville’s stand-alone COVID-19 drive-thru testing site will not open as planned on Monday because of a lack of supplies, Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said Saturday."
AL News
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Earl (03-29-2020)
WK1 3/28-/4 _Cases 301k--Dead 18.1k Lethality 2.72%
WK2 4/5-/13 _Cases 555k--Dead 22.1K Lethality 3.9%
WK3 4/20-/21 Cases 774k -Dead 37.2K Lethality 4.8%
WK4 4/22-/29 Cases 1M --Dead 58.8K Lethality 5.9%
WK5 5/1-/8__ Cases 1.3M -Dead 75.7K Lethality 6.1%
WK6 5/9-16__Cases 1.4M --Dead 85.8K Lethality 6.1%
WK7 5/17-24_Cases 1.7M - Dead 97.6K Lethality 5.9%
WK8 5/28 Cases 1.7M - DEAD 101.2K - Same
PoliTalker (03-29-2020)
PoliTalker (03-29-2020)
Are you saying that "everyone who wants a test can get a test" was a fabrication?
Shocking
WK1 3/28-/4 _Cases 301k--Dead 18.1k Lethality 2.72%
WK2 4/5-/13 _Cases 555k--Dead 22.1K Lethality 3.9%
WK3 4/20-/21 Cases 774k -Dead 37.2K Lethality 4.8%
WK4 4/22-/29 Cases 1M --Dead 58.8K Lethality 5.9%
WK5 5/1-/8__ Cases 1.3M -Dead 75.7K Lethality 6.1%
WK6 5/9-16__Cases 1.4M --Dead 85.8K Lethality 6.1%
WK7 5/17-24_Cases 1.7M - Dead 97.6K Lethality 5.9%
WK8 5/28 Cases 1.7M - DEAD 101.2K - Same
Hello Centerleftfl,
How pathetic. The prez does a big prez briefing (mock rally) and claims we are turning everything around, massive new testing, but the reality is different.
Set up a bunch of drive-thru testing sites, but it's all for show. No test kits.
BAD LEADERSHIP
PEOPLE WILL DIE
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Earl (03-29-2020)
Agreed. Trump says a lot of things and his staff spends twice as much time explaining "what the President meant to say was..."
That said, the US is very resourceful and has great technical expertise. I have no doubt the US will lead the world in testing and treatment innovations.
"Hatred is a failure of imagination" - Graham Greene, "The Power and the Glory"
Thermo Fisher to produce millions of coronavirus diagnostic ...www.statnews.com › 2020/03/14 › thermo-fisher-to-produce-millions...
Mar 14, 2020 - The Thermo Fisher test will run on the company's Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast ... Manufacturing test kits does not mean they will immediately reach patients. But the availability of so many tests would be a major step forward.
Earl (03-29-2020)
'A game changer': FDA authorizes Abbott Labs' portable, 5-minute coronavirus test the size of a toaster
Grace Hauck, USA TODAY 14 hrs ago
CHICAGO – A five-minute, point-of-care coronavirus test could be coming to urgent care clinics next week, and experts say it could be "game-changing."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorization to Illinois-based medical device maker Abbott Labs on Friday for a coronavirus test that delivers positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes, the company said.
The company expects the tests to be available next week and expects to ramp up manufacturing to deliver 50,000 tests per day.”
usatoday.com
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