Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Price Gouging And Scams Bedevil Desperate Hunts For Covid Tests
CBS News: Lawmakers Call For Investigation Into At-Home COVID Test Price Gouging
Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into reports of price gouging surrounding over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 test kits. In a letter sent to FTC Chair Lina Khan Wednesday morning, the senators say the surging demand for at-home tests due to the Omicron variant is creating conditions that are "unfortunately ideal for predatory and profiteering behavior, including the sale of fraudulent test kits or charging exorbitant prices for those that are available." (Van Cleave, 1/19)
USA Today: How A Wedding Photographer And A Donut Shop Owner Got Millions In A COVID Testing Operation Now Under Investigation
The inquiries are focused on a nationwide chain of coronavirus testing sites known as the Center for COVID Control, under scrutiny by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Oregon Department of Justice and multiple state health departments. Test takers at the company's more than 300 locations across the USA have reported the sites to state and local authorities, saying they received delayed test results, no results or multiple conflicting results, among other concerns. The company has the Better Business Bureau's lowest customer review rating, and social media pages and Google reviews for the sites are filled with complaints. (Hauck, 1/17)
The New York Times: Scammers Pounce On Demand For Covid Testing In U.S., Officials Say
Federal and state officials warned this week of coronavirus testing scams that have taken advantage of the United States’ strained testing infrastructure and have left Americans with invalid test results, wrongful medical bills and overpriced at-home tests. Fraud related to the virus has persisted since the onset of the pandemic, but the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has created opportunities for scammers preying on the high demand for tests. (Holpuch, 1/18)
And studies show conflicting results about the efficacy of rapid tests on children —
CBS News: Rapid COVID-19 Tests Are Highly Accurate For Kids, Study Finds
While PCR tests for COVID-19 have become the "gold standard" in detecting the virus, a new study says rapid tests are highly accurate when it comes to children and teens. The study, led by researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in collaboration with other institutions and published in MedRxiv, shows that rapid tests given to adolescents at school or at home has a similar accuracy to PCR tests. (O'Kane, 1/18)
Daily Mail Online: Covid Lateral Flow Tests Don't Work As Well On Children
Covid lateral flow tests don't work as well on children, according to a study which casts doubt on whether they can curb the spread of the virus in schools. All secondary school students in Britain are currently encouraged to do LFD tests at least twice a week. But writing in the BMJ's Evidence-Based Medicine, experts said the rapid kits were not as effective as hoped in youngsters. (Ely, 1/18)
In other news about covid testing —
The Washington Post: The Public Library Is The Latest Place To Pick Up A Coronavirus Test. Librarians Are Overwhelmed
It was another busy day at the public library when a visitor walked up and stood close to the children’s librarian. “My roommate is positive for covid,” the woman said. “How often should I be testing myself?” The librarian grimaced under her mask. “That was one where I took a big step back,” she recalled. (Weil, 1/18)
Wisconsin Public Radio: For Wisconsin Families With Little Kids, COVID-19 Testing Has Many Hurdles
For children under 3 years old, the hunt for testing is even more complicated. Pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens only test ages 3 and up. The BinaxNOW at-home tests, approved for kids ages 2 and up, are expensive for those who can't now get them covered by insurance, and they are flying off the shelves as soon as they're stocked. Some sites run by county health departments can swab younger children — for example, in Rock County, a Beloit site serves kids ages 12 months and up — but that may mean parents have to drive several towns away to get their kids tested, and even then, that leaves out kids under a year old. (Fox, 1/18)
AP: NHL To Stop Testing Asymptomatic Players Post-All-Star Break
The NHL will stop testing asymptomatic players, coaches and staff who are fully vaccinated following the All-Star break in early February, saying coronavirus cases continue to decline across the league. The league and Players’ Association announced the protocol changes Tuesday. The current policy will remain in place until the All-Star break begins Feb. 3. (Whyno, 1/18)
