Make sure everyone who needs a test gets a test
Admiral Brett P. Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health
Health professionals say they don't have enough coronavirus tests available to test everyone who needs it, and so they're left largely in the dark on the scope of the problem and how to contain it.
To:
Admiral Brett P. Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Assistant Secretary Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D.,
I'm writing to urge you to immediately adopt the plan put forward by former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler, M.D. The plan would help ensure that everyone who needs a test will get a test as soon as possible to limit the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The plan includes four crucial provisions:
1. Expand testing locations by granting universities and private institutions the ability to test, using drive-through testing, and getting Department of Defense medics to staff mobile testing units.
2. Expedite testing by directing UPS, Amazon, FedEx and USPS to coordinate on shipping.
3. Improve data management by getting Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and others to consult on managing the huge flow of new data.
4. Communicate clearly by getting the American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other medical experts to give clear guidance on who needs a test, where to get the test, and what to make of the results.
Beyond Commissioner Kessler's recommendations, I'm also calling on you to increase the number of test kits sent out into the field, and ensure that each testing location has the necessary tools to process the results swiftly. The sooner we can get a more accurate picture of the coronavirus's spread, the more effectively we can deal with it.