As the United States emerges from the omicron wave, COVID-19 testing has slowed to a fraction of what it was at the beginning of the year.
In mid-January, as the number of daily cases reached its peak, about 2.5 million tests were conducted each day in the United States. There are now about 670,000 tests coming in every day, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Federal data tracks results submitted by more than 1,000 laboratories and testing locations nationwide, but does not capture the vast majority of home tests that have grown in popularity as supplies become more readily available.
But the demand seems to have fallen there too. A major retailer, CVS, has seen a decline in demand for home tests since the Omicron peak, according to a company spokesperson.
Of the long-awaited 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests the Biden administration has made available, less than 300 million have been ordered, according to White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz.
According to Mara Espinol, a professor of practice in biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University, the reasons for this decline are two-fold. On the one hand, the cases are decreasing and on the other hand the demand is also fading.
Cases are down more than 90% since the peak of the pandemic, but the U.S. is just starting to see a decline in the rate of pre-Omicron cases, and that's why Aspinol and other experts urge the country to take this opportunity to ensure warns of the need. Better prepared to bounce.
"When you look at pandemics and pandemics in the past, the best performing countries and communities are those that were most resilient and able to respond to current demand," Espinall said.
Too little too late
"Part of the ongoing challenge of the pandemic is the difficulty of accelerating testing, and unfortunately, time and time again, our testing efforts have been too little, too late," said Dr Thomas Tsai. , Harvard TH. an assistant professor in the Chan School of Public Health.
Even as the tests seem more accessible now, it was just two months ago that the Omicron version — paired with the holiday season — left Americans with long lines for test sites and empty drugstore shelves.
According to a company spokesperson, 70% of the 22 million home tests sold at CVS last year were sold in the last three months of the year.
During the pandemic, there have been warning signs that testing supplies will be strained.
During last year's delta boom, testing began rapidly in July and was held for months at levels previously seen during the first winter boom. Abbott Laboratories, one of the largest home test manufacturers, warned that there could be a supply shortage.
In September, the Biden administration announced it would invest $2 billion in testing, and it added another billion in purchase agreements in October. However, this was only enough to provide the US with about 200 million home tests a month.
In October, Espinal told CNN that these investments are a "significant step forward." But she added, "to use testing to eliminate further transmission, the number is closer to at least 6 million tests a day."
Omicron's arrival continues to re-emphasize the importance of the White House's efforts to address the testing shortage, including the distribution of those 500 million free home tests. But now the demand is declining.
“Certainly, there has been an increase in supply as demand levels begin to subside or subside, as the recent omicron wave and associated COVID-related cases have subsided. This has created the availability of those tests. Those were not available when we needed them. Most of all, during the holidays," said epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina.
Test is still relevant
"The test, especially when the ohmron wave goes down, doesn't lose its relevance," Meena emphasized. "Testing is how we look at the virus. We can't see it if we don't test."
Sick people will be "in the dark" as to whether their symptoms are from COVID-19, influenza or a cold, he said, so it's important to have rapid antigen tests on hand before making a decision about whether or not to go with vulnerable people. To wear a mask or stay home from work.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 testing
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms
- If you know or suspect close contact with coronavirus
- before or after travel
- For screening in schools, workplaces etc.
- When asked by a health care professional or public health official
Most important, Mina said, is that access to testing is "absolutely critical to getting treatment faster."
Both Pfizer and Merck's COVID-19 antiviral treatments must be started within a few days of the onset of symptoms, and since they require a prescription, this requires confirmation through a COVID-19 test.
Right now, when people can get a positive test result and see a doctor to start these treatments may be outside the "medically beneficial time frame," says Meena, who leads telehealth company eMed. He is also the Chief Science Officer of , The company's "test-to-treat" program instantly connects anyone who tests positive at home and to treatment options.
"If we can prevent hospitalizations, even if cases rise again, the importance the virus places on us is greatly reduced," he said.
Keep up the pace
During the White House COVID-19 briefing last month, senior White House adviser on the coronavirus response, Dr. Tom Inglesby acknowledged that demand for tests will drop as cases decline, but announced a plan to help keep testing pace. Officials have sent a formal request to the testing industry on how to scale up manufacturing, along with proposals to combat market volatility and supply chain conflicts.
Test makers Quidel, Roche and Abbott, which have contracts with the US government, told CNN they are committed to providing tests for Americans.
According to spokesman John Koval, Abbott alone is "moving toward conducting 100 million tests a month" in March.
However, Meena said that these manufacturers still need financial incentives, especially when the demand is low.
"The administration should provide guaranteed purchases to manufacturers so that they can scale up their operations without the fear that sales will drop. This happened last year and this winter caused a testing crisis," he said.
Tsai agrees that such a commitment is necessary and that supplies of the tests should be kept in strategic national stockpiles, along with "clear plans for distribution to hotspots and nationally."
"I think it will be challenging for test manufacturers to continue supplying tests without a clear market indication of current demand. Rapid antigen tests should be considered a public good," Sai said.
Be comfortable with testing
The White House continues to insist that there are 20,000 free COVID-19 testing sites nationwide, but a silver lining of the recent surge may be that Americans are more comfortable with testing at home.
"I believe most people learn from experience. And you say testing works and it's easy to use, which is good, but not unless you actually do it yourself." that you haven't really noticed that it's as easy as they say or it's as fast as they say or it's as less painful as they say, i think a lot of people are comfortable with just jumping And once you do something, it's very easy," Espinal said.
Aspinol also points out that due to free testing and access to home tests, many barriers to testing have finally been removed.
With increased education, access and now supply, Tsai also sees this as a pivotal moment for the future of rapid antigen testing.
"I am encouraged that the omicron wave has led to a paradigm shift in the role of rapid antigen tests, and hope that the lessons of the omicron wave on the test's important role as an early warning system will help in future outbreaks." Don't get lost for."