U.S. needs 193 million Covid-19 tests per month to reopen schools and keep up with pandemic, new report says

U.S. needs 193 million Covid-19 tests per month, report says The U.S. may need 193 million coronavirus tests each month in order to safely re-open schools and fortify nursing homes, the report said. Kate Sheridan STAT

The U.S. may need up to 193 million coronavirus tests each month in order to safely reopen schools and fortify nursing homes, according to a new report published Wednesday. Current testing capacity in the U.S. is about 21 million tests per month, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

The report is the first testing protocol from the Rockefeller Foundation, which has already issued several testing-related reports and is working with 10 governors to buy and distribute 5 million Covid-19 tests. Written by a team of health policy experts, including a former FDA commissioner, it is aimed at giving states and communities specific guidance on how frequently they should be testing people.

The report’s testing guidelines focus heavily on keeping the coronavirus outbreak under control at schools — at least 175 million of the monthly testing capacity would focus on teachers and students. Much of that would service areas with high coronavirus caseloads that nevertheless open schools, where the report’s authors recommend twice-per-week testing for all students and teachers. Another 18 million or so tests per month would be aimed at testing in nursing homes, where the population is most vulnerable.

The report doesn’t get into specific numbers required for other populations, but Mara Aspinall — one of the co-authors of the report and a managing director of BlueStone Venture Partners — suggested that would be included in future protocols.

Experts have already warned that reopening schools could cause Covid-19 cases to surge again. In some areas, case numbers are already rising. The report suggests that a dramatic escalation of testing could help counteract some of those trends. ...