Coronavirus testing
Coronavirus testing is relatively easy, non-invasive, affordable, and yet unavailable in most of the United States as of March 18, 2019, except to professional athletes, Hollywood actors and actresses, and high-level politicians. The FDA and CDC have impeded access to testing by most Americans despite the ability of private companies to mass-produce such tests.
- FDA rules initially prevented state and commercial labs from developing their own coronavirus diagnostic tests ... [1]
Those having early, special access to coronavirus testing include entire NBA teams and congressmen.
Insurance companies have balked at providing coverage for treatment of coronavirus, which provides a further incentive for tests to be withheld from the general public.
Convenient drive-through testing has been available in South Korea, which has more of a free market in health care, long before the United States.
The Japan Times says that a Japanese research institute has developed a test that takes only half an hour:
- the government-affiliated research institute Riken said ... that they have developed a technology that can detect the COVID-19 coronavirus in only 10 to 30 minutes. [2]
According to The Atlantic,
- ... the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed and distributed a faulty test in February. Independent labs created alternatives, but were mired in bureaucracy from the FDA.[1]