Epidemiologist Says, At-Home Testing, May Help Stop the Pandemic.
NPR reports that the COVID-19 response plan, unveiled by the Biden administration last week, aims to increase the accessibility of rapid tests for COVID-19.
The Biden administration would spend $2 billion
on 280 million quick-turnaround tests.
Those tests would be distributed to community health centers, food banks, testing sites, shelters, prisons and other congregate settings.
Those tests would be distributed to community health centers, food banks, testing sites, shelters, prisons and other congregate settings.
The plan also relies on Walmart, Amazon
and Kroger to sell rapid tests at wholesale
cost for the next three months.
The plan also relies on Walmart, Amazon
and Kroger to sell rapid tests at wholesale
cost for the next three months.
Such quick-turnaround tests can be
taken at home or at a health care facility and
deliver results often in under an hour.
Dr. Michael Mina, an epidemiology professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has been an outspoken proponent for wide availability of rapid tests.
Should anything go wrong with the vaccines, we need backup plans. If new variants come around that get around people's immune systems, .., Dr. Michael Mina, Epidemiology professor
at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, via NPR.
... especially in elderly whose immune
systems a year after they get vaccinated
might be waning in terms of their level
of protection, we want to be able
to limit spread as much as possible, Dr. Michael Mina, Epidemiology professor
at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, via NPR.
But according to CNN, there are already reports
of these rapid at-home antigen tests being
hard to find on store shelves and online.
We are about to see what I think is going to be another testing crisis in this country. While I am extraordinarily supportive of the president's action plan to increase the accessibility.., Dr. Michael Mina, Epidemiology professor
at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, via NPR.
... and availability of these rapid tests... unfortunately, we do not have the scale of either [rapid or PCR] tests to be able to get fast turnaround time, Dr. Michael Mina, Epidemiology professor
at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, via NPR