Re:The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to...
by pmoriarty on Saturday July 18, 2020 @11:30AM
(#23882032)
"Which $1 test currently in production would this be?"
The technology to make these tests currently exists, but the companies which own the technology have chosen not to put them in to production because the tests aren't sensitive enough to gain FDA approval under current regulations.
If the regulations were relaxed to allow these less sensitive (but perfectly adequate) tests, then they could be put in to production.
So what's necessary for us to get $1 tests is to convince the FDA that these less sensitive tests are adequate for use, which is what the This Week in Virology podcast and the NYT article linked to earlier argue for.
"Furthermore, what factory produces and ships 56 million of anything on a daily basis?"
From the TWiV podcast[1]:
"Take every manufacturing company that knows how to print paper, adapt their tools to print monoclonal antibodies on to those sheets and just start slicing it up and shipping it out. It's as easy as that, I mean, you know, I'm simplifying it a bit, but..."
The technology to make these tests currently exists, but the companies which own the technology have chosen not to put them in to production because the tests aren't sensitive enough to gain FDA approval under current regulations.
If the regulations were relaxed to allow these less sensitive (but perfectly adequate) tests, then they could be put in to production.
So what's necessary for us to get $1 tests is to convince the FDA that these less sensitive tests are adequate for use, which is what the This Week in Virology podcast and the NYT article linked to earlier argue for.
"Furthermore, what factory produces and ships 56 million of anything on a daily basis?"
From the TWiV podcast[1]:
"Take every manufacturing company that knows how to print paper, adapt their tools to print monoclonal antibodies on to those sheets and just start slicing it up and shipping it out. It's as easy as that, I mean, you know, I'm simplifying it a bit, but..."
[1] - from about 32'30" in to the podcast https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-640/