Trump administration to purchase 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

The Trump administration plans to purchase nearly all of the new rapid COVID-19 tests that Abbott Labs will manufacture this year, a White House official confirmed. The administration will purchase 150 million tests as part of the $750 million deal, which President Trump is expected to announce later Thursday during his speech to accept the GOP nomination during the Republican National Convention.

Abbott's BinaxNOW is a potentially breakthrough new tool that can deliver results in just 15 minutes. It is entirely self-contained, meaning there is no extra lab equipment needed to run the test, and large volumes of tests can be performed simultaneously. The Food and Drug Administration granted Abbott an emergency use authorization for the tests on Wednesday.

The company plans to begin shipping them by the end of the month, with "tens of millions" of tests in September, and 50 million tests a month by the beginning of October. The move would represent a significant expansion of the current U.S. testing capabilities, which have often not been able to keep up with demand.

The administration did not say where the tests will be sent once they are purchased.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/514022-trump-administration-to-purchase-150-million-rapid-covid-tests

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The BinaxNOW is 97.1% sensitive, meaning it correctly diagnoses those with coronavirus 97 percent of the time, and 98.5% specific, meaning an infection is correctly ruled out that often.

[live love laugh]

1. Why?

[olegramps]

23. Firstly, it isn't the White House purchasing them but us, the American tax payers.

[rurallib]

38. Makes me think they are trying to control the supply

and decide who gets tested.

[live love laugh]

39. My thoughts also. nt

[getagrip_already]

41. remember catch and kill? same thing....

They are just going to bottle these up and prevent anyone from getting them.

It would be too embarrassing to trump if people could test at home in the workplace, or at school.

No testing means no virus to them.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. First thing they've done right since this started, but let's see if they till fuck it up.

[SergeStorms]

19. Too little, too late.

He thinks playing catch-up is going to save him now? I hope people see through this as the failure in leadership it actually represents.

[Borchkins]

3. I'm sure Jared will re-sell to the highest bidder

or the greatest blackmailer (MBS v. Putin).

[lark]

4. Doing this to raise the price, like he did with ventilators and PPE?

Or doing this to reduce testing. They can just refuse to supply them. So much evil, hard to tell which way it will go.

[Mr.Bill]

11. Yes. It's not a matter of purchasing them,

it's what they do with them.

[lark]

14. Send them to a friend of Jared's who jacks up the price 150% and gives them a cut.

That's what they've been doing with them.

[SergeStorms]

21. These are for...

Trump, Pence, and their families. Everybody else......get your own.

[IronLionZion]

36. Maybe states can buy it from them at 10x the price nt

[louzke9]

5. A Good Thing....

But call me jaded! Can't help but wonder how many of Trump cronies including his family have stock/financial ties to Abbott Labs?

[live love laugh]

25. Why is this a good thing? Didn't he also purchase PPE but tell

states to get their own?

[liberalmuse]

6. To little, too late you homicidal POS

It's all about optics with this craven asshole.

[marble falls]

7. What's Trump's cut?

[qazplm135]

8. ok that's half the country

getting one test.

It's a start but it's not a finish by any stretch.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

9. Six months later and he decides to actually DO SOMETHING? Shameful. N/T

[Politicalgolfer]

10. Ummmm...

....so that he can lock them in the closet, right??? Remember Don has been telling us that if we don't test, Covid will not exist anymore🙄 ....and he's the brightest brain trust evah, ya know

[katmondoo]

12. I think he is going to take the tests and lock them away. He wants to end testing.

Why else would Trump purchase the tests?

[intrepidity]

15. So he can go without a mask, natch

All for him I bet

[intrepidity]

13. All for his personal use, no doubt

Testing everyone that gets near him, daily.

[Phoenix61]

16. Free up other tests for those asymptomatic or presymptomatic I guess

“However, the Abbott test is only authorized for use in patients suspected to have an active COVID-19 infection, meaning it is not authorized to test asymptomatic or presymptomatic people.”

[Autumn]

17. I understand the tests were manufactured by a terrific company owned by John Barron.

[Garion_55]

18. Using them to pay off his debt to putin?

[global1]

20. Now That He Got The CDC To Say You Don't Need A Test....

this purchase is kind of meaningless.

I'm sure - this was just an impulsive move on his part to distract from his pushing the CDC around while Fauci was in surgery.

[Botany]

22. Anybody want to get that barn door?

What are we at now 6 million cases? This should have been done last Feb./March.
I know it would not have been the same test but the WHO's test kit worked all over
the world but Trump an Kush-Turd wanted in on the action w/their own test kits.


BTW this is the test we need.

https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1795135071

Illinois rapid saliva test for COVID-19 now operating under FDA Emergency Use Authorization

[ashredux]

24. Big Question is: Will he USE them, or just "stockpile" them?

[rainin]

26. He wants total control

Democratic states won't get them unless they give him something in return

[keithbvadu2]

35. You beat me to it. Trump/Jared want to send the tests to their favorites and supporters.

You beat me to it. Trump/Jared want to send the tests to their favorites and supporters.

[bucolic_frolic]

27. Speculative purchase? Might be able to triple his money if the pandemic goes global again MPGGA?

[elleng]

28. 'The administration did not say where the tests will be sent once they are purchased.'

[iluvtennis]

29. And these 150 million tests will just cover about 7 1/2 days of the testing the scientists & doctors

say we need to be doing.

Why not start up the production of MANY MORE of these/other rapid test kits by invoking the defense production act.

trump, always, too little too late.

[NCjack]

30. I'll never get one. NC has a DEM governor.

[BigmanPigman]

31. Just saw it on CNN...it costs $5, takes 15 min for results and ready in Nov.

This article says that they will be ready earlier and that the price isn't $5. What is going on? We can't ask the CDC or FDA since both are in yRump's pocket.

[DallasNE]

32. Announcement Should Have Been Made Back In March n/t

[sandensea]

33. And then sit on them, for distribution to GOP-led states

And, of course, right-wing dictatorships and narco-states like Colombia and Honduras.

[barbtries]

34. So I want this test.

wonder if I'll be able to get it. WTF, so, so tired of his bullshit~!

[ancianita]

37. Just enough to distribute to red states.

[live love laugh]

40. 💯