The Atlantic

We Need 1 Million Tests a Week

If the country hopes to end social distancing and regional lockdowns, the only solution is to build a comprehensive testing infrastructure.
Source: Lindsey Wasson / Reuters

Although President Trump that coronavirus testing is no longer a problem, the fact is that the U.S. is still not testing enough. A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute estimates, based on peak demand of past flu seasons, that we need to conduct , and this may be a conservative suggestion. Other groups estimate that we need to test . At the moment we’re testing as many people, and not necessarily

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic4 min read
Hayao Miyazaki’s Anti-war Fantasia
Once, in a windowless conference room, I got into an argument with a minor Japanese-government official about Hayao Miyazaki. This was in 2017, three years after the director had announced his latest retirement from filmmaking. His final project was
The Atlantic7 min readAmerican Government
The Americans Who Need Chaos
This is Work in Progress, a newsletter about work, technology, and how to solve some of America’s biggest problems. Sign up here. Several years ago, the political scientist Michael Bang Petersen, who is based in Denmark, wanted to understand why peop
The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president

Related Books & Audiobooks