IT Blog

As the coronavirus crisis rages across the U.S., reaching new record daily highs some four months into the pandemic, the country is still struggling to create a coordinated, nationwide testing system. With cases skyrocketing in dozens of states, the need for adequate testing has never been more dire. Meanwhile, spurred by fear and confusion, misinformation about COVID-19 testing continues to spread in step with the virus.

As an emergency room physician and medical director providing COVID-19 care since the start of the pandemic, I encounter this daily from concerned patients. Here are five of the most damaging myths about testing in the United States.

Myth 1: COVID-19 test results aren’t accurate

This coronavirus is new and we are still in the early days of understanding how the disease is diagnosed and transmitted. It’s true that fumbles by both the FDA and CDC at the start of the pandemic made early tests invalid. Offers to sell unauthorized tests from around the world inundated…