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Faulty CDC COVID-19 Assays Leave Only 12 US Jurisdictions With Testing Ability, CDC Director Says

But better reagent coming, Robert Redfield tells congressional panel

 
• By Sue Darcey

Only 12 US jurisdictions currently have sound COVID-19 virus assays from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test suspected virus cases, CDC director Robert Redfield told a House panel looking at virus preparedness on Wednesday – but a better batch is coming, he said. Other questions raised at the congressional hearing was how long an infected person stays infected, whether COVID-19 can be picked up from inanimate surfaces, and related queries.

microbiologist with a tube of biological sample contaminated by Coronavirus with label Covid-19 / doctor in the laboratory with a biological tube for analysis and sampling of Covid-19 infectious disea

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with the Food and Drug Administration to fix faulty COVID-19 assays it previously sent to all 50 state laboratories, with the result that new, improved test reagents will be sent back next week to states that need it, CDC director Redfield told Congress on 26 February.

The CDC first reported glitches in some of the tests that were sent out two weeks ago, leaving only 12...

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