It’s time for you to stop paying close attention to COVID-19.

As a member of the American Society for Microbiology, today I received an email from ASM describing their effort to persuade the FDA “to lift Emergency Use Authorization restrictions that prevented clinical microbiology labs from using their independently developed and validated SARS-CoV-2 tests. Clinical microbiology labs across the country had already developed SARS-CoV-2 tests, which were close to being ready to be used, but were stalled due to the EUA approval process.”

Now some of you may spin this as another example of government over-regulation, but remember, in normal times the FDA has an awesome responsibility to protect the public from harm and fraud in medical testing. In this unusual situation, the FDA responded swiftly (“the next day” according to ASM). A new policy went into effect immediately to allow certain “high complexity” labs to begin testing using laboratory-developed tests.

For this and a variety of reasons both regulatory and practical, we are about to see a major expansion in the number of Americans tested for SARS-CoV-2. That means we are about to see an expansion in the number of officially diagnosed cases of COVID-19. Please understand that this does not reflect some sudden change in the real world. It is a sudden change in the way we measure the real world.

Much attention, however, will likely be focused on the numbers, like the score at a sporting event. This has a negative and manipulative effect on our emotions and our fear level. If you get alerts every time another patient is diagnosed or dies, you’re going to get freaked out.

So take a breath, accept that the virus is quietly circulating in many places, and do not let the constant drumbeat of case numbers dominate your attention.

Get and please share the scientific backstory on SARS-CoV-2 and emerging infections. Read my ebook “The Coming Pandemic” for free.

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