Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pinprick Blood Test Touted At A 'Game-Changer' Falls Flat On News Of Inaccurate Results
NBC News: Hopes For At-Home Finger-Prick Coronavirus Test Dashed After Accuracy Is Questioned
It was promoted as a potential coronavirus game changer, a breakthrough that would allow millions of people to resume their daily lives within a matter of days. Governments and companies around the world put great faith in the idea of an "antibodies test" — a home-administered finger-prick kit designed to detect whether someone has had the coronavirus in the past and, crucially, has built up immunity. (Smith, 4/8)
ABC News: Unprecedented Coronavirus Antibody Testing Hits Roadblock In Colorado
The effort to test every resident of San Miguel County, Colorado, for coronavirus antibodies -- including the mountain community of Telluride -- hit a snag after health officials said the private company conducting the tests couldn't handle the workload. Last month, biotech company United Biomedical Inc. offered to pay to test every resident of San Miguel County for COVID-19 antibodies. Company founders Mei Mei Hu and her husband, Lou Reese, are part-time residents of Telluride. About 6,000 people were tested during the first round, according to the county. (Sandell and Cook, 4/8)
NPR: SEC Suspends Trading Of Company That Sold 'At-Home' COVID-19 Tests
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has temporarily suspended trading of shares of Wellness Matrix Group, citing statements "made through affiliated websites and a company consultant about selling at-home COVID-19 testing kits that had been approved by the FDA." The suspension lasts until April 22. (Dreisbach, 4/8)
Modern Healthcare: Experts Debate Whether Point Of Care COVID-19 Testing Can Help Flatten The Curve
Providers and public health officials hope that more COVID-19 testing will help contain spread of the disease. But efforts to get tests done faster and results quicker are hindered by how many tests can be quickly deployed and how accurate they prove to be. Three decentralized tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been granted Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past 10 days. (Johnson, 4/8)
CIDRAP: Point-Of-Care Tests For Respiratory Infections Could Save UK Millions, Study Finds
Comprehensive use of currently available point-of-care tests (POCTs) to diagnose respiratory infections could save England's National Health Service (NHS) up to £89 million ($110 million US) a year, according to a cost analysis published yesterday in the Journal of Medical Economics. The savings would result from fewer antibiotics being prescribed for the type of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) that are most likely caused by viruses, fewer return trips to the doctor, and fewer antibiotic-related adverse events (AEs). And the savings could rise significantly if more accurate diagnostic tests were available, the authors of the analysis suggest. (Dall, 4/8)
Modern Healthcare: Driverless Shuttles Transport COVID-19 Tests At Mayo's Florida Campus
A Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, Fla., is testing a new way to transport COVID-19 tests from a drive-thru site to its processing laboratory: driverless shuttles.Mayo Clinic deployed four shuttles last week. They travel from the drive-thru site to the lab without drivers or other people on board. The sites are less than a mile from one another, as they're both located on the campus, and collaborators on the project selected routes with limited pedestrians and traffic. (Cohen, 4/8)
The Hill: Some Coronavirus Testing Sites Delayed Due To Lack Of Personal Protective Equipment
The National Guard said a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) might be hindering its ability to administer coronavirus tests. “There have been cases where they have said they have to delay the opening of the sites until they have the PPE,” National Guard Bureau chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel said at a Pentagon press briefing Wednesday. “Nobody’s doing any testing right now without the appropriate PPE.” Lengyel noted that 349 guardsmen — on and off duty — have tested positive for the virus, though he didn’t say how many of those guardsmen were activated at the time. (Moreno, 4/8)
