Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
At-Home Covid Test Kits Will Be In Stores Soon
ABC News: Over-The-Counter COVID-19 Rapid Tests To Be Sent To Major Pharmacies This Week
Store shelves at pharmacies across the county will soon be filled with affordable, quick, at-home coronavirus test kits. BinaxNOW, a rapid COVID test made by Abbott Laboratories, was shipped Monday to major pharmaceutical chains, including Walgreens, CVS and Walmart, to be sold over the counter. The tests will be sold in two-count packs for $23.99. (Pezenik and Pereira, 4/19)
USA Today: COVID-19: No-Prescription Tests To Be Sold At Walmart, CVS, Walgreens
Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNOW coronavirus self-test kits will be shipped to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart locations and also will be sold online. The two-test kit, which last month received Food and Drug Administration emergency-use authorization for serial screening, will cost $23.99, the company said. (Alltucker, 4/19)
In other news about covid testing —
Fox News: Otters Test Positive For COVID-19, Georgia Aquarium Says
The Georgia Aquarium announced on Sunday that its Asian small-clawed otters tested positive for COVID-19. While it was unclear how many of the animals had tested positive, officials said in a news release that the otters are already showing signs of improvement and are expected to make "a full recovery." "Our Asian small-clawed otters are under very close monitoring by veterinarians and animal care team members," Dr. Tonya Clauss, vice president of animal and environmental health at Georgia Aquarium, said in a news release. "They have displayed only mild symptoms and we expect them all to make a full recovery. We are providing supportive care as needed so they can eat, rest and recover." (Hein, 4/19)
The Star Tribune: Questions Surface Over State's COVID-19 Testing Contract
Minnesota public health officials talk with pride of the free statewide COVID-19 testing system they set up last year, but questions are mounting about the cost of the no-bid contract they negotiated and a key pricing amendment still in the works. The Minnesota Legislative Auditor's Office confirmed Friday that it has received multiple complaints about the rates billed to the state for COVID testing and is conducting "preliminary inquiries" into the issue, said Joel Alter, director of special reviews for the office. (Carlson, 4/18)
AP: PGA Tour Tells Golfers To Get Vaccinated Or Pay For COVID Tests
The PGA Tour is telling its players they will not have to be tested for the coronavirus if they are vaccinated, and those who aren’t will have to pay for their own tests starting this summer. In a memo sent to players Monday, the tour strongly encouraged them to get vaccinated. It stopped short of saying it would require players to be vaccinated to compete in tournaments. (4/19)
The Guardian: The Obscure Math Theorem That Governs The Reliability Of Covid Testing
Maths quiz. If you get a positive result on a Covid test that only gives a false positive one time in every 1,000, what’s the chance that you’ve actually got Covid? Surely it’s 99.9%, right? No! The correct answer is: you have no idea. You don’t have enough information to make the judgment. This is important to know when thinking about “lateral flow tests” (LFTs), the rapid Covid tests that the government has made available to everyone in England, free, up to twice a week. (Chivers, 4/18)
