Why Can't We Have Enough Tests for COVID-19?

Dr. Sheldon Campbell & Edgar Prewitt in the lab

Source: with permission from Sheldon Campbell, MD, PhD

During this strange time, most of us sound like graduates of Coronavirus 101, rattling off soundbites: spreads through droplets, lives on metal for five days, washes away with soapy water after two Happy Birthdays.

We’ve also learned the importance of virus testing for both diagnosing and tracking the epidemic. That’s the only way to uncover the true extent of this microscopic menace.

But why do some well-resourced countries have more tests than others? Why isn’t testing available to everyone?

The answers have to do with timing, logistics, gathering the raw material, and having the expertise to do the tests accurately.

Dr. Sheldon Campbell, professor of laboratory medicine at Yale and associate chief for the clinical laboratories for the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and I explain the details of testing, focusing on the nasal-swab test in an article for the BBC.

Yet, besides the nitty-gritty of the laboratory work, what is often lacking in discussions is an appreciation of the scientific process. Science takes time. Even if everyone is working double-shifts (and laboratory workers are), and even if we can speed the process of genetic testing with high-tech machinery, we still need to test the tests.

As Dr. Campbell said to me, “The only thing worse than no test is a test that’s wrong.”

Consider the potential COVID-19 vaccine. If scientists were to create a seemingly workable vaccine tomorrow, they would still need time to make sure it is both effective and safe. After that, manufacturers need to ramp up production, including acquiring materials and machinery to produce millions of vaccines. Finally, countries and companies must figure out a way to distribute them at reasonable prices.

We are all living under stress, whether we are working in hospitals, whether we are at home managing children, or whether we are at home alone and connecting via Zoom. At the same time, we are bombarded with headlines about statistics and about testing backlogs and potential treatments. It’s particularly crucial that we appreciate the behind-the-scenes science.

Now more than ever we are relying on laboratory scientists who do the groundwork for those on the frontlines.