Thread by @michaelmina_lab

#RapidTest Strategy

In light of WH/@POTUS massive distribution of #rapidtests ideally to all

Imagine if

a) Add extra swabs so 2-3 ppl pool specimens

b) All Americans simultaneously test 4x in a single week

We could see massive crashes in cases & more effective future efforts

@POTUS How would this work - if most american's detected that they are infected - across the whole of the US - in a single week AND acted to isolate appropriately, we could massively temporarily reduce the effective R of the virus and bring cases tumbling down.

2/

@POTUS Although it would last for as long as the testing is going, it could help get things a better under control and provide a better footing for ourselves in the weeks after.

3/

@POTUS No, the tests are not authorized for pooling. But for such a massive public health "self surveillance" effort it would work

Not all tests work with pooling swabs. And there are issues that would have to be accounted for. But this is where large scale messaging would benefit.

4/

@POTUS For many of the tests that do have sufficient buffer in them, pooling can work well (two ppl use their own swab and put the swab in the buffer together). Important to ensure that not sopping up all the buffer.

Some like BinaxNow, pooling won't work for.

5/

@POTUS And yes there will be skeptics who say "but... a lot of people won't do it"

OK - that's fine, and expected!

Not everyone has to do it. But if we could sever tens of millions of transmission chains in a single week, that would massively accelerate reductions in cases!

6/

@POTUS Also, we have done a number of representative surveys of Americans... what we found is that testing - especially at home testing - is extremely bipartisan and that even ppl who are avidly against masks and vaccines find testing something that is useful and they'd do.

7/