California Governor Calls Out What A Mess Coronavirus Testing Is Right Now

[riversedge]

Source: huff post





03/12/2020 05:09 pm ET Updated 1 hour ago

The Golden State received test kits for COVID-19 from the federal government that did not include all the components needed to actually run a test.



California’s ability to test people for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has been limited by incomplete test kits provided by the federal government, the state’s governor said Thursday.

So far only about 1,500 people have been tested in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a press conference. While the state government has 8,000 test kits available, the kits have not all included every necessary component to actually perform the test for COVID-19, Newsom said.

“I continue to reinforce the tests are not complete, kits all do not include re-agents, chemicals, solutions that are components,” Newsom said, adding that it was “imperative” that labs get access to “all ingredients that are components of the test.”

“I’m surprised this is not more of the national conversation,” he said, adding it was analogous to going to a store and buying a printer but not having any ink to print with.

Newsom said that at the “beginning of this process,” the state did not realize the federal government’s test kits were incomplete. The issue became clear after “ambiguity” and “queries” from local labs saying they couldn’t use the kits. There have been backlogs in local labs because tests did not have all the necessary components, he said — though as of Thursday there were no reported backlogs remaining.

The state has been proactively addressing the labs’ needs for missing components to complete tests, including relying on lab company Quest Diagnostics to process backlogged tests. The state is partnering with other commercial labs, as well as university and private hospitals, to supplement testing moving forward.

..................

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/california-coronavirus-testing_n_5e6a957dc5b6bd8156f3d84b?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

---

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Hekate]

1. Malicious incompetence, once again

[drray23]

2. I think states should just say fu to the feds and ask the WHO

To provide them with tests and the hell with fda and cdc. Those institutions are infected by trumpers.

[McKim]

8. Absolutely!!!!!

Absolutely, this needs to happen yesterday. Just work around this monster and don’t let him rule!!!!

[crickets]

10. Agreed! nt

[NBachers]

3. I have an idea about how we could effectively make use of this wall.

[Talitha]

4. Did any red states receive incomplete kits?

[C Moon]

5. Gee, do you think this was done on purpose? Trump has been working on destroying CA

since he and Putin stole the office of U.S. President.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Is it deliberate?

By allowing COVID19 to proliferate undetected, Trump created opportunity for Russia and OPEC to undercut our overleveraged oil companies and really all our corporations, creating a financial crisis as the stock market peaked. A perfect Black Swan event.

We are so screwed. There is no bottom to this, and there will likely be, as in many flu pandemics, three waves, the second to hit next winter. Soon, we will look like Iran because we did the same they did - we didn't test.

Buckle up. It will be a rough ride.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

7. What do these kits come with?

I mean if they lack re-agents, chemicals, solutions that are components. Is it just instructions on how to use the reagents?

[Igel]

9. It doesn't say.

It might just lack saline solution, for all we know, and the problem is that you can't go into a typical hotel room and have a fully functioning lab set up out of the box.

Or maybe what's missing is something that is very much not standard fare in diagnostic labs.

We're left to fill in whatever we want.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

11. They should at least list what is needed so states can backfill where needed.

California has tons of resources. The Feds should publish this stuff.....oh yeah Trump.