Letter to the editor: We need cheap, rapid, over-the-counter covid-19 test

As a Pittsburgh infectious disease physician, I applaud Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina’s covid-19 surveillance approach, which he outlined in a July 3 New York Times opinion piece and at microbe.tv/#640. He endorses a cheap, rapid, over-the-counter covid-19 test. While it will miss some infections, it will be fewer than once thought, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the current standard, a PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based test, can be too sensitive.

The over-the-counter test could be administered to students before school each day to capture both symptomatic and asymptomatic covid-19 infections. As a result, community spread could be limited and contact tracing would be much more effective. While the over-the-counter test would be surveillance grade, the PCR-based test would remain clinical treatment grade and the gold standard.

The obstacle to implementing this plan is the FDA approval process. Per Mina, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires any new covid-19 test be at least 90% as sensitive as currently approved PCR-based tests. While a laudable goal, it cannot be achieved now; thus, we need to act with the technology we have available.

Contact your elected leaders to support the immediate FDA approval of a cheap, rapid, over-the-counter covid-19 test.

Dr. Mary Catherine McEllistrem

Regent Square