SARS-CoV-2 Testing Trials and Tribulations

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), started in the Wuhan province of China and is now a pandemic that has caused a great number of deaths across the globe.^1,2 The number of cases in the United States is increasing steadily, and the epidemic curve mimics the start of the infection in both China and Italy. Due to challenges associated with ramping up testing capacity, reliable estimates of the number of infections in the United States are not available. Multiple people, including Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have stated that testing for COVID-19 has been problematic,³ with some dubbing the situation “testgate.” Below we will explore the evolution of tests in the United States, alternative tests, the logistics of increasing testing, and issues regarding laboratory staffing in response to the increased demands of testing.