The Economics and Science behind COVID Testing and False Negatives
By Stephanie Remy and Reetesh Sudhakar, 6/29/2020
The Economics of Testing
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues throughout the United States, the number of cases has continued to fluctuate in various areas. More so than not, that number is rising. Because of this fact, more and more people are being urged to get tested. When such a great influx of people want to get tested, many issues can arise. This can include testing not being readily available, false tests that give incorrect diagnoses, and extremely high costs for testing.
A prominent issue around testing for COVID-19 is the lack of tests readily available and attainable for the general population. From the pandemic’s inception, lack of tests brought forth issues, but now as cases rise, the issue still has not gone away completely. Now more than ever, the demand for testing has increased tremendously. In many hot zones, or epicenters of the pandemic, chemicals crucial to the test as well as swabs are in short supply. Additionally, now there are also tests to find antibodies for COVID-19. If antibodies are found, it shows previous infection with the virus. Even as faster tests and more variety of tests are being produced, delays in getting results can also be a factor to consider. However, many of the new tests try to give results in a speedy manner.
A major dilemma with the coronavirus tests stems from the fact that there are false tests. These false tests can bring on an incorrect diagnosis. This can include testing negative when the person does have the virus. False tests are extremely dangerous because someone can go about their daily lives spreading the virus, when they believe that they do not have it at all. This allows the infection to spread at a much faster and more rampant rate. Coronavirus tests test for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from Johns Hopkins found that testing for COVID-19 too early on in the course of the infection and incubation period can lead to a false negative test. It was estimated that when tested within the first four days of infection, patients were 67% more likely to test falsely negative. Additionally, in mid-May researchers from Johns Hopkins found that the chances of a false test is about one in five. This can tie into the other research done because it can be caused from getting tested too early.
Finally, another bump in the road faced when trying to get tested for COVID-19 is the cost of the test. The cost for the test ranges between states, providers, and even which lab the test was produced at. This brings a disparity in costs, breaking uniformity and making it difficult to find a testing site for many. According to the New York Times, most providers charge insurers anywhere between $50 and $200 for a single test. A major diagnostic testing company in the United States, LabCorp, bills $100 for a test. Some companies are upcharging for tests, which puts many lower income people at a disadvantage. Due to the fact that many people have lost their jobs and others are tight on money, it is difficult to be able to afford an expensive test. The higher the cost, the less number of people will be able to get tested.
The coronavirus pandemic proves to be no minimal issue in the United States. Because of this, it is crucial that people continue to take safety precautions and get tested if necessary. Despite any barriers to testing, more tests are being produced and more and more people are able to get tested and are doing so.
A prominent issue around testing for COVID-19 is the lack of tests readily available and attainable for the general population. From the pandemic’s inception, lack of tests brought forth issues, but now as cases rise, the issue still has not gone away completely. Now more than ever, the demand for testing has increased tremendously. In many hot zones, or epicenters of the pandemic, chemicals crucial to the test as well as swabs are in short supply. Additionally, now there are also tests to find antibodies for COVID-19. If antibodies are found, it shows previous infection with the virus. Even as faster tests and more variety of tests are being produced, delays in getting results can also be a factor to consider. However, many of the new tests try to give results in a speedy manner.
A major dilemma with the coronavirus tests stems from the fact that there are false tests. These false tests can bring on an incorrect diagnosis. This can include testing negative when the person does have the virus. False tests are extremely dangerous because someone can go about their daily lives spreading the virus, when they believe that they do not have it at all. This allows the infection to spread at a much faster and more rampant rate. Coronavirus tests test for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from Johns Hopkins found that testing for COVID-19 too early on in the course of the infection and incubation period can lead to a false negative test. It was estimated that when tested within the first four days of infection, patients were 67% more likely to test falsely negative. Additionally, in mid-May researchers from Johns Hopkins found that the chances of a false test is about one in five. This can tie into the other research done because it can be caused from getting tested too early.
Finally, another bump in the road faced when trying to get tested for COVID-19 is the cost of the test. The cost for the test ranges between states, providers, and even which lab the test was produced at. This brings a disparity in costs, breaking uniformity and making it difficult to find a testing site for many. According to the New York Times, most providers charge insurers anywhere between $50 and $200 for a single test. A major diagnostic testing company in the United States, LabCorp, bills $100 for a test. Some companies are upcharging for tests, which puts many lower income people at a disadvantage. Due to the fact that many people have lost their jobs and others are tight on money, it is difficult to be able to afford an expensive test. The higher the cost, the less number of people will be able to get tested.
The coronavirus pandemic proves to be no minimal issue in the United States. Because of this, it is crucial that people continue to take safety precautions and get tested if necessary. Despite any barriers to testing, more tests are being produced and more and more people are able to get tested and are doing so.
False Negatives & their Implications
With the uncertainty revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic, reliable testing is crucial to ensure the safety of populations across the United States. However, the inaccessibility to screening has largely prevented states from reopening. Increased and focused testing towards individuals who are likely to spread COVID-19 is necessary to revitalize America and its economy. However, the lack of resources and immense fear revolving around the virus has directly contributed to strong opposition to COVID-19 testing.
As the virus continues to spread, more testing is necessary to ensure that cases are documented. However, the number of tests that are performed daily in the United States has leveled off between 130,000 and 160,000 tests. Rather than increasing the number of tests as the virus spreads, the number of tests performed has decreased. Supply limits in New York have caused the number of daily tests to decline from over 10,000 to 25 in a matter of days. This lack of testing bottlenecks effective responses by leaving healthcare providers unaware of who to treat, preventing Americans from returning to their regular lives. The current lack of testing contributes to the spread of the virus: symptomatic individuals are unaware that they contracted the virus and unintentionally spread it to others. Testing is a necessary step that must be taken before states can reopen to ensure that their constituents can live safely.
While the lack of resources contributes to public health issues, public fear of the virus also links to individuals declining critical treatment. Individuals across the country choose to actively avoid hospitals during the pandemic due to the anxiety of contracting the virus. As a result, many deny crucial treatments, COVID-19 tests, and ignore signs of symptoms. In a world rooted with anxiety, fear is controlling those in dire need of medical care. Because the public is afraid of the virus, they forgo treatments that could save their lives, compounding their worrisome mindset further. As the virus continues to spread and reignite in regions throughout the country, people are ignoring symptoms in the face of fear.
As a result of the sharp increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the United States, President Donald Trump encouraged his team to slow testing down in the hopes of finding fewer cases. This mindset inspired the public to hide their own concerns about showing viral symptoms, making them feel safer to return to their daily lives. However, this sense of security exacerbates the spread of the virus, as unaware carriers spread the virus to other individuals. More cases eventually arise without being documented by healthcare providers, leading to more fatalities. As a result of the ‘anti-testing’ mindset, cases are caught too late in their development, creating more problems than solutions. While testing can be damaging to individuals financially and emotionally due to fear, it helps them develop treatment plans while also keeping those around them safe. Without awareness of the cases throughout the country, healthcare providers will not be able to treat patients effectively.
As the virus continues to spread throughout the United States, test frequency matters more than sensitivity to contain and eliminate newer outbreaks. Without awareness and documented information, doctors and researchers will not be able to make progress to develop treatment plans and potential cures for the virus. Fear will inevitably be rampant during these unprecedented times, but using it to ignore subtle symptoms and deny treatment only serves to harm individuals further, because it can provide crucial information and ferment long-term safety for many individuals, testing is a necessary provision to control the spread of COVID-19.
As the virus continues to spread, more testing is necessary to ensure that cases are documented. However, the number of tests that are performed daily in the United States has leveled off between 130,000 and 160,000 tests. Rather than increasing the number of tests as the virus spreads, the number of tests performed has decreased. Supply limits in New York have caused the number of daily tests to decline from over 10,000 to 25 in a matter of days. This lack of testing bottlenecks effective responses by leaving healthcare providers unaware of who to treat, preventing Americans from returning to their regular lives. The current lack of testing contributes to the spread of the virus: symptomatic individuals are unaware that they contracted the virus and unintentionally spread it to others. Testing is a necessary step that must be taken before states can reopen to ensure that their constituents can live safely.
While the lack of resources contributes to public health issues, public fear of the virus also links to individuals declining critical treatment. Individuals across the country choose to actively avoid hospitals during the pandemic due to the anxiety of contracting the virus. As a result, many deny crucial treatments, COVID-19 tests, and ignore signs of symptoms. In a world rooted with anxiety, fear is controlling those in dire need of medical care. Because the public is afraid of the virus, they forgo treatments that could save their lives, compounding their worrisome mindset further. As the virus continues to spread and reignite in regions throughout the country, people are ignoring symptoms in the face of fear.
As a result of the sharp increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the United States, President Donald Trump encouraged his team to slow testing down in the hopes of finding fewer cases. This mindset inspired the public to hide their own concerns about showing viral symptoms, making them feel safer to return to their daily lives. However, this sense of security exacerbates the spread of the virus, as unaware carriers spread the virus to other individuals. More cases eventually arise without being documented by healthcare providers, leading to more fatalities. As a result of the ‘anti-testing’ mindset, cases are caught too late in their development, creating more problems than solutions. While testing can be damaging to individuals financially and emotionally due to fear, it helps them develop treatment plans while also keeping those around them safe. Without awareness of the cases throughout the country, healthcare providers will not be able to treat patients effectively.
As the virus continues to spread throughout the United States, test frequency matters more than sensitivity to contain and eliminate newer outbreaks. Without awareness and documented information, doctors and researchers will not be able to make progress to develop treatment plans and potential cures for the virus. Fear will inevitably be rampant during these unprecedented times, but using it to ignore subtle symptoms and deny treatment only serves to harm individuals further, because it can provide crucial information and ferment long-term safety for many individuals, testing is a necessary provision to control the spread of COVID-19.