Lawmakers and public health experts are raising alarms about the widespread embrace of blood tests to gauge whether somebody was previously exposed to the coronavirus.
The blood tests have been heralded by state and federal leaders who hope these so-called antibody tests can help guide decisions about when and how to reopen the country by identifying who has been exposed to the virus and may now have immunity even if they have never been diagnosed.
But in the rush to get tests to the public quickly, there are worries that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed companies to market tests with little to no oversight, raising the potential for a surge in inaccurate results.
False positives could mislead people into thinking they have already been infected when they have not.
A debate is also being waged about whether these tests currently provide enough useful information in the fight against the pandemic.
A recent report from the House Oversight and Reform Committee found that the FDA allowed a flood of antibody tests on the market without review, resulting in hundreds of flawed tests that are still available for purchase.
The agency has verified and allowed just 10 tests under a formal emergency-use authorization (EUA), while close to 150 are being marketed directly to customers without any review…
To read the entire article from The Hill, click https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/495772-alarm-bells-ring-over-controversial-covid-testing