Boston health experts say coronavirus testing is the ‘biggest barrier we face’

A shortage of coronavirus test kits is emerging as a “barrier” in containing the disease, according to Boston public health experts who say sick people are only being tested if they meet specific Centers for Disease Control criteria.

© Provided by Boston Herald French lab scientists in hazmat gear inserting liquid in test tube manipulate potentially infected patient samples at Pasteur Institute in Paris, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Scientists at the Pasteur Institute developed and shared a quick test for the new virus that is spreading worldwide, and are using genetic information about the coronavirus to develop a potential vaccine and treatments. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

“Testing is the biggest barrier we face. … We have so few tests available that we have to prioritize testing for severe illness,” said Paul Biddinger, director of the Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation and Practice Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a forum on Monday.

Patients are tested for coronavirus only if they meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria which include recent international travel or contact with an infected person, coupled with fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Patients with no travel history or contact with an infected person will be tested if they are hospitalized with fever and severe acute lower respiratory illness and they don’t have an alternative diagnosis such as influenza.

“Unfortunately we can only test people who meet this (Person Under Investigation) definition,” said Biddinger.

Testing of nasal and throat swabs is conducted at public or clinical health labs where CDC diagnostic tests have been distributed by the International Reagent Resource.

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said ramping up to adequate testing capacity on a national level will take weeks.

“What’s of obvious concern to everyone is the level of severity and lethality of this virus and that is one of the biggest unknowns,” said Lipsitch.

He said additional cases and deaths may have flown under the radar, “We’ re discovering things that have already happened.”

Biddinger said that ideally, all patients with possible symptoms would be tested so personnel can take additional protective measures if needed.

At a Monday press conference, Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel said the state lab was approved to conduct coronavirus tests as of Feb. 28 and there is an “adequate supply” from the CDC. Turnaround on testing is 24 hours, Bharel said.