Test Everyone for Coronavirus? We're Not There Yet
Tests should go first to those with the greatest need.
How vulnerable are you?
Source: picture alliance
The White House is investigating “self-swab” coronavirus tests, President Trump said Wednesday, implying that a do-it-yourself test for Covid-19 might be imminent. Soon, maybe all of us can just swab our own throats and find out if we’re infected.
That might seem like good news, for everyone knows testing has been a weak spot in the American response to the pandemic. And many people would like to know if they’ve been exposed to the virus, if only to avoid infecting the most defenseless people in their lives.
But, in fact, Trump’s announcement suggests he does not understand what tests are needed in the U.S. – and who actually needs them. The danger is that this will add to public misunderstanding about testing. The U.S. is terribly behind in testing, it’s true. As my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Faye Flam points out, much more testing is needed to stem the tide of Covid-19. After government missteps in creating and approving Covid-19 tests, we’re still scrambling to come up with the millions of tests needed to find out how far the disease has spread in the U.S.
Getting this picture, however, and helping the people suffering from Covid-19 recover, does not call for testing everyone. What’s needed – and what must be a priority – is getting tests for the people who are ill or who at least have symptoms and are in a vulnerable category: they’re over 65, have underlying medical conditions or are health-care workers. And we barely have enough tests for them.