Scott Gottlieb and Lauren Silvis:

Systems on the market are well suited to this mission. The GeneXpert by Cepheid is a highly sensitive machine that uses a chemical process called polymerase chain reaction to test for infection by detecting the viral RNA. This machine doesn’t require complicated sample prep or even a perfect swab of the nose and throat. It can use a relatively small sample of upper-airway secretions to discriminate a positive test from a negative one precisely. Cepheid said it is expanding its production of test kits and the machines that run them. Other testing systems in development may have the same potential.

For businesses that can’t easily bring testing to the work site, there are other options. They can work with companies developing home collection tests, which would help make this technology available sooner, or could contract with pharmacies running screening programs. States could sponsor collaborative testing programs and allow small businesses to join. Government could financially support these efforts for higher-risk businesses that may not have capital available to expand testing, such as grocery stores.