Inspiration & Research

First and foremost we have to understand what is going to really stop the spread of the virus. The scientific community, the world's top epidemiologist and those who have had the most success in Korea and China understand that testing and isolation are the best ways to stop the spread and end the virus in any given area.

Bill Gates Corona Virus TED talk link

“When we sent data to the FDA this weekend, showing that just an individual by themselves swapping out to the tip of their nose, they're able -- the accuracy of that test is essentially the same as having a health care worker do it. That helps a lot. We still have to do other things, but that means that you don't have to change protective equipment. You just hand the patient that swab, they do it, put it in a test tube and, if the capacity's right, within 24 hours you should get that result back." -Bill Gates

White house briefing on the swab technology March 23, 2020 link

"... those swabs are very easy to manufacture. The one where you had to jam it into the throat, mid-turbinate, that was getting into short supply." -Bill Gates

For more on the timeline of swab production, see this article from NPR link

The nasopharyngeal swabs required for the coronavirus tests are quite different from your standard Q-tips — and the exploding need for them has created a bottleneck in the soaring demand for diagnoses.link

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What's next for COVIC-19 At-Home Swab Test

Fundraising for swabs and materials to conduct the tests

"While last week's critical shortage was a reagent chemical used in the diagnostic tests, now the specialized swabs are in dire demand, according to Soumi Saha, a pharmacist who is the senior director of advocacy for Premier Inc., a group purchasing organization that procures supplies for 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems. As testing finally ramps up in the U.S., hospitals especially are having a hard time getting enough of these swabs, Saha says." NPR

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