3 ms·
Interesting read. It doesn't explain though why "the people in charge" haven't issued a blanket authorization by now for basic RT-PCR based diagnostics using a
by Reelin 7y ago
Interesting read. It doesn't explain though why "the people in charge" haven't issued a blanket authorization by now for basic RT-PCR based diagnostics using a particular primer sequence at facilities meeting some minimum criteria.
Other countries have managed to authorize and implement drive-thru testing stations [1] by now; it really seems like we're demonstrating our ineptitude here.
[1] https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1232685500806225922 https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1232685500806225922
- ggreer 7y agoThe FDA is a big slow bureaucracy. Also, all of their incentives are to block new things. If they approve a new medical treatment or diagnostic that ends up harming people, they'll get tons of bad publicity and the individuals who approved it could lose their jobs. If they block things, few seem to notice (see everyone in this thread talking about CDC funding being cut). For example: The FDA took a decade longer than the rest of the world to approve the first beta-blocker (timolol). That caused around 100,000 deaths. The FDA is also the reason why epipens are so expensive (along with countless other generic drugs).[1] That said, it looks like they'll approve a standard covid19 test soon.[2] 1. https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/08/29/reverse-voxsplaining-drugs-vs-chairs/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/08/29/reverse-voxsplaining-d... 2. https://twitter.com/davidalim/status/1233032552056807426 https://twitter.com/davidalim/status/1233032552056807426