What went wrong with coronavirus testing in the U.S. | The Fact Checker

During the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was first announced in Wuhan, China in December 2019, many Americans have continued to ask about one central issue: testing. Effective testing to track cases of covid-19 is a crucial part in mitigating the virus’s spread. Doctors and nurses also say it is essential in preserving personal protective equipment, or PPE, which has become scarce and necessary in hospitals today.

Technical issues and a series of bureaucratic restrictions led to a shortage in tests across the country as health care providers and local communities started to see cases of coronavirus increase. The U.S. fell far behind other countries’ approach, like South Korea, in responding to the pandemic through testing. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed that of China on March 26. The Fact Checker spoke to scientific researchers, patients, doctors, public officials and public health experts to piece together what went wrong in implementing widespread testing.

The Trump administration, including the president himself, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and representatives from the Centers for Disease Control often assured Americans there were no issues with testing the past few months. Data as well as evidence from people trying to get tests tells a very different story. Read moreSubscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube