Page 18 - DVG

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 28 February 2020

In scramble to stop virus, testing raises tough questions

Continued from From across 47 nations in every
continent but Antarctica,
"This was a clear gap in our public health officials em-
preparedness, and the vi- phasized the need for rap-
rus went right through the id intervention.
gap," said Dr. Ali Khan, "Aggressive early meas-
dean of the University of ures can prevent transmis-
Nebraska College of Public sion before the virus gets a
Health. foothold," World Health Or-
In the wake of the latest ganization chief Tedros Ad-
California case, U.S. health hanom Ghebreyesus said.
officials on Thursday ex- He cited a study in China
panded their criteria for of more than 320,000 test
who should get tested, and samples that enabled
took steps to increase test- health officials to zero in
ing. on the 0.14 percent that
The debate over testing screened positive for COV-
has taken on added ur- ID-19, the disease caused
gency as the number of by the virus.
cases worldwide climbed But catching the disease
past 82,000, including 2,800 early will require countries
reported deaths. The rapid to invest in rapid diagnos-
spread pushed officials in tics, said Dr. Gagandeep South Korean army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of the
Saudi Arabia to cut travel Kang, a microbiologist who COVID-19 virus on a street in Daegu, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020.
to Islam's holiest sites, trig- heads the Translational Associated Press
gered tougher penalties Health Science And Tech-
in South Korea for people nology Institute in India. goes well beyond the ex- history of travel to countries labs, so they could broad-
who break quarantines Test kits used by the World pense involved. affected by the disease en testing to more people.
and ratcheted up pres- Health Organization cost Doctors at the University of or contact with those who Early this month, the agen-
sure on investors as U.S. less than $5 each, said California Davis Medical have done so, said Lauren cy got authorization to be-
stock markets extended Michael Ryan, the group's Center were mindful of the Sauer, director of opera- gin distribution of the kit to
their week-long plunge. emergencies programs di- need for early identifica- tions at Johns Hopkins Uni- government public health
The Dow Jones Industrial rector. But that figure does tion on Feb. 19 when the versity's Office of Critical labs in the 50 states and
Average sank nearly 1,200 not include the expense of hospital admitted a female Event Preparedness and some cities and counties.
points Thursday, its worst medical staff and valida- patient on a ventilator who Response. But most of the kits proved
one-day drop since 2011. tion screening, and making showed symptoms of a viral "In the U.S., people are to be faulty, providing in-
With the illness rippling such investments effective infection. sticking pretty closely to conclusive results to test
They asked she be tested that definition," Sauer said. samples that should have
for the new coronavirus, But the increasing cases on tested positive. The prob-
according to an email hos- other continents "are dem- lem was blamed on one
pital officials sent to their onstrating we need to do a of three reagents used in
employees, but a test was better job than just where the testing. CDC said it was
not administered because the outbreak originated." trying to manufacture new
she did not fit federal test On Thursday, the CDC up- reagents, but gave no firm
criteria. The test was not dated its testing criteria on timetable for when that
done until four days later, its website — a move that would occur.
on Feb. 23, and the results had been in the works for Only about a half dozen
did not come back until days, according to a fed- state and local public
Wednesday, a full week af- eral official familiar with the health labs had fully func-
ter she was admitted, the change. tional kits as of early this
hospital said. The CDC will continue to week.
The federal agency in advise testing people who As weeks passed, the prob-
charge of testing, the U.S. have traveled to certain lem became more and
Centers for Disease Con- outbreak areas and have more frustrating, said Scott
trol and Prevention, took is- fever and certain other Becker, the chief executive
sue with that account late symptoms. But now testing of the Association of Public
Thursday. The agency said is also appropriate if such Health Laboratories.
it was still investigating, but symptoms exist and flu and On Monday, Becker's or-
that a preliminary review other respiratory illnesses ganization sent a letter to
showed it had not been have been ruled out and the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
informed of the case until no source of exposure has ministration, basically ask-
Feb. 23, when it requested been identified. ing permission for state labs
specimens for testing. It As part of that, CDC has to develop their own tests.
said criteria in place at the expanded the list of coun- On Wednesday, FDA of-
time could have allowed tries that are red flags for ficials responded that labs
the woman to be tested testing to include not only would be allowed to rely
earlier. China but Iran, Italy, South on the two other reagents,
The case highlights the fact Korea and Japan. meaning that as many
that most testing in U.S. up Last month, the CDC said as 40 state and local labs
to now has been limited to it had developed a test kit could be up and running
those who, in addition to that could be sent to state with their tests in the next
showing symptoms, have a and big city public health few days, Becker said.q