New COVID-19 Testing Platforms Are on the Way. Now if We Can Only Improve Reporting…

Shortfalls in testing supplies—especially in urgent care centers—was a serious problem at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Anecdotal evidence suggests that one reason the virus spread so widely and quickly was that asymptomatic patients who didn’t know they were sick (and infectious) went about their business instead of quarantining. Supply chain issues have, largely, been ironed out so there’s no shortage of places to get tested. However, an article published in The New York Times points out that the value of better testing practices is diminished by the fact that results are underreported. One challenge is that not all states share case counts for antigen-positive tests. Another, paradoxically, is that as more testing centers pop up the incidence of facilities simply failing to report, in compliance with CDC guidance, increases. The Times article quotes multiple physicians and public health officials as saying that broader use, and increasing quality of rapid tests are expected to simplify and increase the prospects of more consistent reporting. One possible step forward: The Food and Drug Administration just OK’d use of a fingerstick testing system from 20/20 BioResponse. It’s the first test of its kind to be granted Emergency Use Authorization by the agency. The key prospective advantage is that results can be ascertained in minutes, on site. According to 20/20, the kits are rapid chromatographic immunoassays configured like home pregnancy tests, to detect IgM and IgG antibodies to COVID-19 in the blood. Regardless of what testing platform is used, however, it’s essential that urgent care providers report results to the appropriate agencies so accurate data on disease spread can be generated and used as guidance in containing further spread.