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Comment by ta999999171 | Hacker News Reader

Will Korea sell us tests?

Will anyone? Has this been discussed anywhere?

Probably they would. WHO could also provide the USA with tests. We could do more testing domestically. Not only could we open up more testing now, but we could have opened it up weeks ago. We've chosen not to do this. Yes, it is utterly insane.

The machines for this test are not approved in the US. Secondly even if that was waived, there it the issue of getting the machines here, setting them up and training people in the lab. And the reality is a huge number of countries also want these tests.

I've read however that FDA just approved a new test on Roche lab equipment which many labs already have.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/scott-gottlieb-us-to-conduct...

I used to think this, but it is not true. Surprising, I know.

Here is FDA authorization for CDC test: https://www.fda.gov/media/134922/download. The required machine is Applied Biosystems 7500, and CDC targeted it because it is approved, widely available, trained on, etc. in USA.

Here is product information page from one of South Korean test suppliers: http://www.solgent.com/english/sub03020102/view/id/45. It is compatible with Bio-Rad CFX96 and Applied Biosystems 7500, and was approved as such in South Korea. While Bio-Rad's machine is more popular in South Korea, they obviously thought of exporting.

Jack Ma, the head of Alibaba, is donating 500,000 test kits to the US.

Hopefully ones that work. Here's what you can buy on Alibaba.[1] Some of those are probably totally bogus.

[1] https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product...

CNN article (March 12, 2020) on Seegene https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-...

Seegene is in talks to export of the excess test kits to 30 countries including Germany and Italy.

No mention of US.

Jack Ma just donated a bunch.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/fhvvzl/chinas_...

And as the situation in the US worsens to a certain point, I'm sure China would officially send supplies too like it's currently doing with Italy and Iran. Question is whether Trump will accept that.

They can't. Not FDA approved.

The administration turned away from the German designed/WHO standard tests everyone else is using, so I don’t think any international ones are FDA approved.

Today’s presser sure gave me the impression that the delay in testing was so they could roll out this nebulous private-public partnership drive through testing and I guess boost CVS’ stock price or something.

> they could roll out this nebulous private-public partnership drive through testing

Realistically, how would you envision tests on this scale being performed? In theory, it’s a great plan. Pretty much everyone in the US is close to a Walmart/CVS/Target. Drive up, get swabbed, check results online. Fast and minimal human interaction. The implementation remains to be seen but I can’t imagine the alternative of having everyone rush doctor’s offices and hospitals working very well.

How they’re being performed in South Korea or any other country that’s doing tests at scale? American exceptionalism falls apart when countries around the world are outperforming your response.

According to the record by Mark Green from Tennessee, the test that South Korea is using was denied because of inadequacy by the FDA in the USA, and that test will not even be used for emergency purposes.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?470277-1/federal-health-offici...

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