As the coronavirus pandemic progresses in the United States people call out to conduct more tests in hopes of preventing its further spread in the community. US FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn acknowledges that further diagnostic and antibody testing is needed as we move beyond May and into the months of summer and fall.
Right science behind testing
The United States has done over 2 million tests already and Commissioner Hahn advised the public that having an inaccurate test is worse than not having a test at all amid the calls of more testing to be done. He emphasized that the science behind the tests should be the right science to avoid conflicts in the future.
US testing has focused on patients with severe symptoms with roughly 1 percent of the population. Countries like Germany and South Korea are testing now at a higher rate that is why Hahn has pointed to pressure on the supply chain regarding the disparity in access across the country.
Like other tests, it is important to remember that these tests should be reliable, valid and accurate, said Hahn in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press referring not only to diagnostic tests but also to antibody tests.
Many antibody tests are not yet verified but Hahn said that the US food and Drug Administration has already authorized one antibody test that could detect whether someone has already been exposed to COVID-19 and may have developed immunity against the disease.
However, in some countries like in South Korea, their Centre for Disease Control has reported antibody tests not working.
"I am concerned that some of the antibody tests that are in the market that haven't gone through the FDA scientific review may not be as accurate as we'd like them to be. No test is 100 percent perfect. But what we don't want are wildly inaccurate tests. Because, as I said before, that's going to be much worse," said Hahn on NBC.
Unrealistic May 1 target
President Donald Trump said on Friday that their target on lifting social distancing is within weeks- particularly on May 1. Hahn has hesitated on calling this deadline unrealistic but hopeful to achieve it although it is too early to tell that.
As other health experts are saying that this deadline is aggressive, they noted that robust testing and contract tracing capabilities should be the priority of the government to avoid future outbreaks at the current scales. They cautioned that most Americans will not be able to resume their normal lives on President Trump's deadline.
Meanwhile, Trump's health adviser urged the public to continue following federal recommendations to stop the spread of the disease, even as they plan when and where to relax these rules.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that one of the practical hurdles that currently stand in the way of lifting the federal guidelines is the substantial expansion of public health workers that will monitor the Americans who have come in contact with those infected people.
