CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

'Chaos' around coronavirus testing shows need to rethink public health, says Harvard expert

Boston Herald - 12/1/2020

Dec. 1--Coronavirus testing efforts across the country are less organized and more an example of "widespread chaos," a Harvard infectious disease expert said, demonstrating the need to rethink public health strategies, especially as a hefty winter surge is expected.

Dr. Megan Murray, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health noted issues with access to a coronavirus tests in Massachusetts also extend nationwide, including long lines and lack of available appointments.

"I think what it reflects is the lack of oversight of strategy of who's in charge of distributing tests, who is in charge of coming up with a policy for how they can best be used, and who's in charge of getting them to places that they need to be," Murray said in a Tuesday webcast.

The United States has been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases worse than previously seen in the spring, and recent Thanksgiving travel and gatherings are likely to exacerbate the issue.

Challenges in testing access make it even more difficult to combat such surges, she said.

"Really what we've seen is that there's widespread chaos around this. It does show that we need to rethink our public health governance," Murray said.

Murray said in the U.S., there has not been a strategy in place to ensure equitable and adequate testing, as has happened in other countries.

She added, "We are not doing well in terms of testing per capita," noting that there are still some states in which the probability that a person will test positive for coronavirus is about 50%.

"That's usually a reflection of not getting enough tests, if you expand testing that percentage should go way down," said Murray.

Another tool to beat back the pandemic will soon arrive in the form of a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine, with first doses potentially available by the end of the month, officials have said.

As the vaccine start to roll out, Murray said she's hopeful many people will be enthusiastic about taking it, a necessary hurdle to achieving herd immunity that would get the country and the world back to normalcy.

But, as with other vaccines, there will be pockets of communities that just don't want to get vaccinated, leaving them at risk, Murray said.

"I think people are nervous because of the speed at which all this has happened. ... I have to say I'm really impressed ... I think that trials have been really well done," Murray said.

___

(c)2020 the Boston Herald

Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.