My Authors
Read all threads
Calling all diagnostics innovators and tinkerers - openCOVIDscreen.org is offering XPrizes for a range of screens/diagnostics to help bring an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please submit your proposal & help save the world. The judges are world-class dx experts.
In support, an RA Capital team led by Parker Cassidy has just released a map of in-development & marketed COVID-19 tests as a companion to our therapeutics/vaccines map. These are only some of the chess pieces there are to work with - submit yours! racap.com/covid-19
RA Capital & our peers also launched the Covid Apollo Project, a company co-funding the X-prize & helping w/ assessment. Goal is to assemble an integrated testing paradigm w/ a sustainable business model to enable some reopening even before a vaccine. covidapollo.com/media
If we had the right combination of screening and diagnostic tests, it would be possible to safely reopen schools and businesses. That's worth shooting for. And even after vaccines are available, there's a role for testing.
What do these tests need to do? They need to give results quickly, inexpensively, & accurately, but no one test has to do all three at same time. One test can check just 2 out of 3 boxes as long as combined w/ complementary tests into a single, unified testing strategy.
We need to quickly & inexpensively screen for who *could* be infected. These tests don't have to be super accurate if we use a second test to quickly & accurately determine, among those possibly infected, who is *definitely* infected. That 2nd test doesn't have to be super cheap.
We also need tests to inexpensively and accurately figure out who was infected in the past. These tests don't need to be super fast. Lastly we need tests to inexpensively determine who's immune to serious infection.
That's the set of tools Covid Apollo is going to assemble. Whether we license them in, incubate them internally, or partner with existing companies, we just want to catalyze a single, overarching solution. Parker & the Covid Apollo team are getting to work immediately.
And Covid Apollo isn't just building a solution for Covid-19. The integrated testing paradigm we aim to put together would also serve as a framework for a rapid, orderly response to any future pandemic. That's an insurance policy worth taking out.
Some will wonder how a small startup could make a difference when billions have been spent on tests already. It's b/c what we're investing is so much more than money. When needles are hiding in a stack of needles, money is secondary... time, methodology, & attention matter more.
Together w/ everyone involved in openCOVIDscreen, we're investing time & expertise to systematically sort through all the ideas that require integration into an effective solution. Only then will America & other countries be able to wisely spend billions of dollars on testing.
So please spread the word. We're looking for a few thousand good ideas.
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh.

Keep Current with Peter Kolchinsky

Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!