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Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)
Tue Mar 10, 2020, 10:14 PM Mar 2020

Exclusive: U.S. coronavirus testing threatened by shortage of critical lab materials

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/10/coronavirus-testing-lab-materials-shortage-125212

The slow pace of coronavirus testing has created a major gap in the U.S. public health response.

By DAVID LIM and BRIANNA EHLEY

03/10/2020 06:56 PM EDT

A looming shortage in lab materials is threatening to delay coronavirus test results and cause officials to undercount the number of Americans with the virus.

The slow pace of coronavirus testing has created a major gap in the U.S. public health response. The latest problem involves an inability to prepare samples for testing, creating uncertainties in how long it will take to get results.

CDC Director Robert Redfield told POLITICO on Tuesday that he is not confident that U.S. labs have an adequate stock of the supplies used to extract genetic material from any virus in a patient’s sample — a critical step in coronavirus testing.

“The availability of those reagents is obviously being looked at,” he said, referring to the chemicals used for preparing samples. “I’m confident of the actual test that we have, but as people begin to operationalize the test, they realize there’s other things they need to do the test.”

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safeinOhio

(32,674 posts)
7. He was never a Boy Scout
Tue Mar 10, 2020, 10:45 PM
Mar 2020

The Scout Motto is: BE PREPARED which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY.

herding cats

(19,564 posts)
11. Yep, Texas has community spread, but officially none of those cases are included due to the backlog.
Wed Mar 11, 2020, 11:14 PM
Mar 2020

Whistling past the graveyard only works until a loved one is in said graveyard. These are extremely dangerous and foolish games this administration has played with our lives.

herding cats

(19,564 posts)
10. It's not as if we've had advance warning to prepare...
Wed Mar 11, 2020, 11:11 PM
Mar 2020

Oh, right. We did and our government (I'm looking at you Mr. I Like The Numbers Where They Are!) didn't chose to release resources to address the issue.

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