Trump Admin Starts Distribution of 150 Million Rapid Tests to States

By Dana Cruz Sep 29 2020, 04:45 AM EDT

President Donald Trump formally announced on Monday the government's plans to disperse 150 million coronavirus rapid tests.

COVID-19 Rapid Tests by Linh Pham/Getty Images

The Trump administration first promoted the distribution of rapid tests per state in August. It originally billed the deal to obtain tests from Abbott Laboratories.

A report from Politico said the rapid tests cost $5 and can be analyzed in 15 minutes without using lab equipment.

About 100 million of these tests will be given to states to support efforts in reopening economies and schools "as fast as they can." The other 50 million tests will be given to what Trump called "the most vulnerable communities."

It will include nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice care, and others. Tests will also go to areas damaged recently by wildfires and hurricanes.

"The support my administration is providing would allow every state to on a very regular basis test every teacher who needs it," Trump said.

The first shipments of rapid tests will be sent out this week, and the administration is working towards a total of 6.5 million tests. The amount that each state gets would be based on population data.

While governors get the final say on deciding how to use the rapid tests, Trump and the Health and Human Services testing czar Brett Giroir encourage using it to help reopen schools.

A Shift for the Trump Admin

Many schools all over the U.S. have already reopened without testing access.

Before classes started, there was only a little news on using testing data as a guide to reopen schools. But now, the plan showed a change of heart from the Trump administration, as CNN noted.

Earlier in the pandemic, Trump advised to slow down on conducting coronavirus tests while health officials urged them not to do so.

Trump took a different approach to testings on Monday. He said that an increase in coronavirus testing efforts "should not cause undue alarm."

Increased testing efforts could also lead to finding more asymptomatic cases among those in low-risk populations. But Trump said the number of cases was not the "full metric of success."

He noted that there are other more instructive data to look at, like hospitalization capacity and mortality rates.

Experts Praise Trump Administration

Experts praised the news on rapid tests. They found it a welcome endorsement about the importance of fast and accessible testing as the U.S. struggles to manage the health crisis.

So far, COVID-19 has taken 204,000 lives in the U.S., but experts say testing numbers are nowhere what is needed to contain the spread of the virus.

Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was pleased that the government is taking action to distribute tests. But she also told New York Times that 150 million tests are just "a very small drop in the bucket."

Dr. Krutika Kuppalli of the Medical University of South Carolina also urged for broader testing efforts. "We need to be rolling it out in a way that is mindful that it's being used appropriately," she noted.