Testing plans are as rooted in what a group can afford as they are in anything else. Tests are being used “not necessarily according to the value of the information, but more often according to the ability to pay for these tests,” said Blythe Adamson, an infectious disease epidemiologist and economist who serves as an adviser to the nonprofit Testing for America. The group is working with historically Black colleges and universities to help them use testing to safely reopen.
Lynn University hired CVS Health to test students and staff on campus in Boca Raton, Florida. The school of about 3,200 students will prioritize people who are showing symptoms or may have been exposed, said Chief Strategy and Technology Officer Christian Boniforti. Under the agreement, Lynn can do between 30 and 90 rapid tests a day, with the option for more as needed.
Is It Effective?
That colleges and other groups are using frequent testing for students who lack symptoms isn't "necessarily a negative thing," because it's something the rest of the country can learn from, said Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner.
“Is this something that’s effective? Can we actually rein in coronavirus this way?” she said. The aggressive testing of National Basketball Association players or by the University of Illinois may show whether it’s a viable strategy to fight transmission, “especially if they’re in places of widespread surge,” Wen said.
Some businesses also see the value of repeat testing, but wonder whether they can sustain it.
Talon International, a Los Angeles-based supplier of zippers and trim for clothing, began testing its 30 local employees each week in May. It worked with a company called Kyla, with Talon’s insurer picking up the tab.
The frequent screening allowed Talon to identify an employee who tested positive and quickly quarantine the individual and re-test staff, said Chief Executive Larry Dyne.
But in mid-July, Talon’s insurer said it would stop paying, Dyne said. The facility is now shut down and when it reopens, he’s not sure what they’ll do.
“We certainly would like to get back to a weekly or bimonthly testing of some sort, to at least give people some amount of confidence that the workplace is remaining sterile and completely staying sanitized,” he said.
--With assistance from Angelica LaVito.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.