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There are companies (at least one anyway) that make rapid testing panels that include COVID, plus a dozen plus other respiratory diseases, in a single test that

There are companies (at least one anyway) that make rapid testing panels that include COVID, plus a dozen plus other respiratory diseases, in a single test that is profitable at $200 and costs $20 in consumables. I heard that they disabled all the other tests so they could get approved as a COVID test sooner, or something like that. The problem is you can't ask for such a test as a patient, hospital billing departments make the news for charging insurance $$$$ for each individual pathogen on the test, and doctors come out of the woodwork to say how negligent and irresponsible it is to test for so many things at once, as if it's literally impossible to take base rates into account when you do more than one test.

robertlagrant 5y ago
If the regulators get out of the way it would be great to make these available direct to consumer with an app companion, and the consumer can share the results with their physician.
- InitialLastName 5y ago
  Something tells me that if the regulators got out of the way, we would have dozens of Covid tests available, half of which would work better than a coin toss.
- adolph 5y ago
  Millions and millions, millions of tests per day could be available today, except that the FDA is sitting on the applications, many of which I’ve looked at. And the applications are stellar. There’s absolutely no reason for an inexpensive three- or four-dollar test to be being outright rejected by the FDA right now or just sitting in a queue for many months. It’s no longer a normal time at the FDA, they’re being held up there for unknown reasons. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Press Conference with Michael Mina, 02/24/21 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/coronavirus-covid-19-press-conference-with-michael-mina-02-24-21/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/coronavirus-covid...
  - nitrogen 5y ago
    If we could mail a free test and free mask to every registered USPS address once a week we could end the pandemic if people who are anti-vax are not anti-test.

robertlagrant 5y ago

If the regulators get out of the way it would be great to make these available direct to consumer with an app companion, and the consumer can share the results with their physician.

InitialLastName 5y ago
Something tells me that if the regulators got out of the way, we would have dozens of Covid tests available, half of which would work better than a coin toss.
adolph 5y ago
Millions and millions, millions of tests per day could be available today, except that the FDA is sitting on the applications, many of which I’ve looked at. And the applications are stellar. There’s absolutely no reason for an inexpensive three- or four-dollar test to be being outright rejected by the FDA right now or just sitting in a queue for many months. It’s no longer a normal time at the FDA, they’re being held up there for unknown reasons. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Press Conference with Michael Mina, 02/24/21 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/coronavirus-covid-19-press-conference-with-michael-mina-02-24-21/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/coronavirus-covid...
- nitrogen 5y ago
  If we could mail a free test and free mask to every registered USPS address once a week we could end the pandemic if people who are anti-vax are not anti-test.