Rethinking Testing for Covid-19

PCR tests for Covid-19 are pretty accurate. But they're often very slow and they can be hard to get. Results sometimes aren't available in time to be useful. Faster tests can be less accurate. As we try to reopen schools and businesses we need to take a hard look at how we're conducting testing.

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Credits:
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Meredith Danko – Social Media
Tiffany Doherty -- Writer and Script Editor
John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Mark Olsen – Art Director, Producer

Images and Footage Credits:
iStock/zoranm
Videoblocks/WeAre
iStock/anyaivanova
iStock/xavierarnau

#healthcaretriage #coronavirus #covid

[rumplstiltztinkerstein]

After so many years of corporations and governments talking about how fast, efficient and effective at their job they are. This pandemic is being a hard punch in the gut for all those inflated egos out there.

[NoelleMar]

Thank youuu. It’s comforting to see you plugging away with advice, especially when you are adamant about acknowledging out dangers.

It’s really shocking, it’s almost like not a single person predicted what would happen based on evidence around the world and at home.

NOT.

[RobertHohan]

I live in a country (Romania) with less than 5 times the GDP per capita when compared to the USA and we (i.e. our specific lab in the capital) usually give out PCR results the next day. How's it even possible for a 10-15 day delay to even exist?!?

[CitiesSkyGay]

Yep exactly. Not to mention the ppl who should be getting tested arent out to get tested. If time and resources werent so much of an issue, bringing onsite testing to essential workers like grocery stores, retirement home, and eventually retail shops would help

[connecticutaggie]

What about doing both. Collect 2 samples - a primary and a secondary, use the cheap test on the primary sample and the more accurate test on the secondary if needed.

[corniplastip]

One day turn-around in CT. But hey what about testing the sewage? This can give us much more advanced warning.

[rickcaras]

Finally! Dr. Mina and others have been beating this drum for a while now. Question is why are our state governors (especially the gang of 7 Midwest states) not pushing this effort. Mine in Michigan is still not getting it.

[spenceo]

Currently studying for a career in healthcare administration. Absolutely love these videos, keep it up!

[ravik]

Have you already talked about testing of waste water? I've heard of it being used by universities to identify dorms where there's an emerging outbreak, then testing each person living in the dorm directly. I wonder if this could be scaled up to whole neighborhoods or cities?

[SaucerJess]

Great video as always, Dr. Carroll! Also, happy brain aneurysm awareness month! This November will be my 5 year survival date / aneurversary. Sending love ❤️

[seanwebb]

I’m Canadian. My test results came back in 24 hours.

[sunsparkda]

But if we test more, the case numbers will go up, and we can't have that because it's worse ... because reasons.

[swordfish]

I'm in the UK and I had a drive through test a few weeks ago (I had no symptoms but I was visiting family and wanted to be safe) I had the test 6pm and had the results back at 7am the following morning. I believe that they are slowing a bit at the moment due to people returning from holiday and going back to school but the results are still back in under 48 hours

[jessicasnow]

The school where I teach is planning to reopen in person full time, with NO plan for testing staff and students. If I want to get a test and I don’t have symptoms, I have to pay over $100 out of pocket.

[paineoftheworld]

I'm resigned to the fact that the United States has given up, thrown in the towel, and is just about the business of cleaning up. But secretly I'm glad to know there are a few that still care...

[munchkinmeep]

I imagine that getting rapid tests done will also give us more data on the range of potential inaccuracy, so we can adjust our trend models.

But yeah, having a better picture of current trends outweighs a "perfect" picture of old news.

[Yoshi_]

We need to have state health authorities publicly releasing data on how long it's taking tests to be completed. Dr. Carroll is right, without faster testing we will never be able to contact trace or quarantine.... we're still stuck on step 1. The only alternative I see is to be more stringent on who's allowed to take a test to reduce the load on labs/supply chains to get results faster. It seems like right now all we're doing is keeping a tally to see broad trends and nothing else.

[antonioMuSiC]

What is your opinion regarding covid testing in pharmacies? I know the main issue people have is the training pharmacists have to interpret tests. Even if tests get harder to interpret because they are less accurate, I still believe pharmacists, the majority being trained at a doctoral-level, are capable of assessing lab tests and counseling patients about their results. Furthermore, we’d be seeing more people and getting a better picture of covid infections in the community. Coupled with the future covid-19 vaccine, we’d make an essential impact alongside other medical providers from a health systems point-of-view.

[batya]

Test results time may have changed in the 2 weeks since this video was published, or perhaps my state uses a faster than average test. I'm a Covid-19 contact tracer and have interviewed cases who had PCR tests with 2-3 day turnaround. The technology is changing weekly. @HealthCareTriage Please revisit these statistics in a couple of months.

[scotthendricks]

Wait. The USA is taking 10 days to get results back.