The pandemic situation in the United States is by no means over. During the last 24 hours, almost 228,000 new cases have been registered – a new and gloomy record.
The weekly average of daily deaths increases has now passed 2000. That is almost 600 more than two weeks ago.
On Friday alone, 2607 new deaths were reported as a result of corona infection.
While the number of infections and deaths continues to increase, the pressure on test capacity is also increasing, he writes NBC News. Millions of Americans are to be tested. A logistics operation of another world.
Dr. Geoffrey Baird of the University of Washington’s Laboratory System follows the diagnosis closely. He himself has managed investments of 30 million dollars, to build up test centers and laboratories this year.
Despite the fact that 1,500 employees now work at the centers he has been involved in establishing, they struggle to take away all the inquiries.
– The amount of tests we now perform is incomprehensibly gigantic. Still, it is not enough if you look at the demand, Baird says NBC.
Barely a month has passed since the US authorities hastily approved the first corona test that can be used at home. The test equipment was approved for people over the age of 14 who a doctor believes may be covid-19 infected, and gives an answer within 30 minutes. Still, people continue to flock to the test stations.
The deliveries of test equipment are approaching the limit of what is possible to manage. Even the stocks of the most basic equipment are starting to run out in some places. Several laboratories have already sounded the alarm about equipment shortages.
Dr. Gary Procop leads the Covid-19 testing at Cleveland Clinics. He sums up the equipment situation briefly: it’s scary.
– Life as a lab manager is not very comfortable right now, he says to the news channel.
WARNING: Assistant health director Espen Nakstad warns against taking a coronal test before Christmas without symptoms. view more
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– Do not test yourself
The situation has led to some now getting an unexpected answer when they want to test themselves. This is especially true for those who do not have symptoms, but who still want to be tested to be more sure that they are not carriers.
– We ask them not to go and test themselves, says Baird.
In some places, mass testing has been initiated in an attempt to more quickly remove the large masses of people who come to test themselves – with varying degrees of success. This is done by collecting samples from a group of people, and then testing them together in the laboratory.
Basically an efficient and equipment-saving method when many are to be tested.
– In areas with high infection pressure, however, it has worked poorly. When about ten percent of the tests are positive, the proportion becomes so high that it does not help us, Baird says NBC.
CROWN-DRAMA: While Erik Myhr Nossums was waiting for the corona answer, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo filmed the drama. Video: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo / Youtube / Kristoffer Løkås / Dagbladet view more
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Vaccine treatment Thursday
As test queues grow, US health officials warn that up to 20 million Americans could be vaccinated against the coronavirus before the New Year.
No vaccine has yet been approved for use in the United States, but the promising results from both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine mean that the authorities hope that many can be vaccinated before 2020 is over.
According to Stephen Hahn, head of the Food and Drug Administration FDA, the goal is for up to 20 million to be vaccinated before the New Year. The FDA must approve a vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine will be up for treatment next Thursday.
“As soon as a vaccine is approved, I will be the first to line up, and I will encourage my family to be vaccinated as well,” Hahn told Reuters.
