Coronavirus: US medical device industry aims for 25 million tests by the end of April, trade group says
- A speedy ramp-up in capacity for broad testing is the key issue as the country maps out ways to reopen its economy
- The US is currently testing about 150,000 people a day; most medical experts say it is not enough to help understand the true scope of the disease
US medical device companies aim to ramp up Covid-19 diagnostic testing capacity to 25 million tests by the end of April, in a crucial step to meet surging demand, according to an industry group.
The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), a Washington-based trade association representing more than 400 medical firms including Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson, said on Wednesday that US medical companies are planning to also increase test capacity in May and over the summer, without giving specifics.
“We understand starting economic recovery depends on the testing capacity,” said Scott Whitaker, chief executive of the association, at a briefing. “If testing 200,000 to 300,000 people per day is the requirement, we will try our best to meet that demand.”
A speedy ramp-up in capacity for broad testing has become the key issue among government officials and medical experts as the country maps out ways to reopen its economy that has been crippled following shelter-in-place orders to contain the spread of the virus.
Currently, the US is testing about 150,000 people a day and more than 4.1 million Americans have been tested, according to the Covid Tracking Project, a research portal launched by magazine The Atlantic.