Forty-eight members of Congress recently sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking the agency to quickly distribute its rapid diagnostic test for coronavirus to state and local officials nationwide.
Currently, samples must be sent to the CDC in Atlanta for diagnosis. This has the potential to slow efforts to slow the spread of the disease, as medical personnel are forced to wait for a diagnosis.
Testing must be able to be conducted locally and rapidly to contain the disease, the letter said, and the CDC should prioritize distributing rapid diagnostic tests to states that already have confirmed cases.
“We understand that before the test can be distributed, it must meet stringent quality controls so that it is sensitive enough to accurately detect this novel virus and specific enough to provide confidence in the results,” the letter said. “CDC should continue to work with the National Institutes of Health and private entities, where appropriate, to meet these important standards. Further, we encourage CDC to coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration to secure an emergency use authorization for the rapid diagnostic test as soon as possible.”
The bipartisan, bicameral letter was sent to CDC Director Robert Redfield.