Co-Diagnostics, a company that has provided coronavirus tests to three state governments, has come under intense scrutiny for claims about its tests' accuracy and stock sales by company leaders.
An unreleased CDC review obtained by NPR shows that lab officials knew an early coronavirus test kit had a high failure rate. They decided not to recall it and sent it to the nation's labs anyway.
In hopes of jumpstarting a business decimated by the pandemic, airlines and airports are offering preflight, on-the-spot testing for the coronavirus, with some test results back in 15 minutes.
The average wait time for results has dropped to about three days, but that is still too slow to keep infected people from unknowingly spreading the virus, researchers report.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Documents obtained by The Associated Press show U.S. diplomats and security officials privately warned the state of Nevada not to use Chinese-made coronavirus test kits donated by the United Arab Emirates.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal health administrators are telling Nevada officials they have to rescind a statewide directive issued several days ago telling nursing homes to stop using two types of rapid coronavirus tests due to the likelihood of false-positive results.
"People work in the White House, and those people also shop at my grocery store and are out about town," said one resident. On Monday, there was an 81% increase in tests compared to a week ago.
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Even regular testing is no substitute for routine mask-wearing and social distancing along with quarantining for those who've been exposed to the coronavirus, experts say.
Some public health experts hope the growing availability of faster, cheaper tests could lead to a new strategy of widespread testing — one that could finally get the pandemic under control.
A pilot program on flights from San Francisco to Hawaii would give on-the-spot tests for the virus that causes COVID-19. Travelers who test negative would not be required to quarantine upon arrival.
The agency now says contacts of people with COVID-19 don't necessarily need to get tested. Public health experts say less testing of potential carriers could lead to more spread of the disease.
Colleges are rolling out a dizzying diversity of COVID-19 containment plans for students and staff. Some have no plans for routine testing, while others aim to test everyone on campus twice a week.
Some colleges are betting on new, proprietary tests they've developed to keep the college safe. The idea is, test everyone at least twice a week and you can catch most infections early.
If you want to socialize with family or friends — say share a vacation cabin — can testing in advance keep everyone safe? We asked experts how diagnostic tests work and how to interpret the results.
Adm. Brett Giroir, who leads the federal testing response, tells NPR that the U.S. is on track to test enough to contain the pandemic, saying newer, point-of-care tests are part of the solution.
Instead of running a coronavirus test on every specimen, a lab combines multiple samples. If the batch is negative, then everyone is in the clear. A positive leads to a second round of testing.
Carmen Quintero couldn't get a coronavirus test but ended up with a huge bill for trying to. She also was told to self-isolate and had no choice but to use vacation time to stay home from work.
A new NPR/Harvard analysis finds most states' testing efforts still fall far short of what's needed to beat back the pandemic. Find out how your state is doing.
Florida is one of a handful of states that's seeing a surge of record daily high cases. The governor says the jump is because of increased testing for the coronavirus.
