Companies ramp up production of rapid COVID tests but they are still hard to get

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Companies ramp¹ up production of rapid COVID tests but they are still hard to get

Transcript²

Rapid tests for COVID-19 are proving difficult to find both for local governments and individuals. The Biden administration says relief is on the way. But what's behind the supply challenges?

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

It's tough these days to get your hands on one of the few things helping³ us get some sense of normalcy in this latest COVID surge, and we're talking about rapid COVID tests. They're being used more and more to help keep kids in school and get many of us back to work. The White House is focused on trying to ship 500 million free tests to Americans who request them. It's reportedly finalizing⁴ details with the U.S. Postal⁵ Service to deliver those kits⁶, and that's according to The Washington Post. But for now, rapid COVID tests are in very short supply across the country, and prices are increasing. NPR's health correspondent Yuki Noguchi joins us now. Yuki, clearly, demand's still way outstripping⁷ what's available. When will that start to get better?

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE⁸: Well, there are now a dozen companies with FDA authorization⁹ to sell their rapid tests in the U.S., and they're all obviously ramping¹⁰ up production. So supplies are increasing, but how many and how quickly they'll be available is the main question. There are - or there were 200 million rapid at-home tests available in the U.S. in December. I spoke¹¹ with Arizona State professor Mara Aspinall. She closely tracks testing supply, and she anticipates modest increases for January and February. And in March, the U.S. will get to a half a billion tests a month. But, A, that's by no means a sure thing.

MARA ASPINALL: I know what it's like to scale up a manufacturing plant. I know what it's like to scale up production for a product. So when somebody says they're going to do a hundred million in month one - eh.

NOGUCHI: A, as you can hear there, she's kind of skeptical¹².

MARTINEZ: Yeah.

NOGUCHI: The whole economy is obviously struggling with staffing problems and problems importing things from overseas, and test makers¹³ feel that, too.

MARTINEZ: Meanwhile, the Biden administration is promising¹⁴ to offer half a billion free tests through a website. Will that make it easier for people to get the test, or will it divert tests that might have gone to store shelves?

NOGUCHI: Well, I mean, it shouldn't because the White House says those additional tests won't take away those supplies headed to the drugstores and other retailers¹⁵. But, you know, again, when is the question. The program isn't up and running yet. This week, the government got bids from companies that make the rapid tests, and that contract may be awarded as soon as today. But then the government needs to set up its website, which doesn't exist yet. So when will consumers start receiving them? The White House says, in coming weeks. But Walgreens' chief financial officer told investors¹⁶ he thought it might take months.

MARTINEZ: What about drugstores? I know I've been peeking¹⁷ my head in there once in a while to see if there's a test there.

NOGUCHI: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And those shelves have been bare. You know, those stores are seeing lots of sales from at-home tests. But drugstore chains are, you know, basically at the mercy of the same dynamics¹⁸. They're in the same boat, waiting for supply to increase.

MARTINEZ: I mean, Yuki, we're two years into the pandemic. Schools, workplaces, travel, they all depend on these tests. So why is supply still a problem?

NOGUCHI: Yeah, it's because the U.S. really didn't prioritize tests like they did vaccines¹⁹, you know? And it comes down to investment and demand. The government made no big investments in testing until fairly recently. And at least earlier in the pandemic, there wasn't the demand for these tests. So really, if you want to have a ready supply, Mara Aspinall says, we need predictable demand.

ASPINALL: There has to be sustainable demand for companies to make significant investments.

NOGUCHI: And what she means by that is, you know, big government contracts that last years, not just months, or building a national stockpile ahead of the next variant²⁰. And we haven't been doing that. We lost, in fact, interest in tests until the delta²¹ variant came and then omicron. And at that point, of course, there was no real existing inventory²².

MARTINEZ: And given how scarce these rapid tests are, there is now talk of prioritizing them to the most vulnerable. How might that work?

NOGUCHI: Well, you know, the government does have existing programs to sort of distribute free tests to the underserved, so they might use that. You know, some public health experts are even saying, you know, if you're sick but vaccinated²³, don't test. Just assume you're infected, and take precautions. So I - but I think the primary way, you know, to reach those people is, again, by upping testing supply.

MARTINEZ: That's NPR's Yuki Noguchi. Thanks a lot.

NOGUCHI: Thank you.

1 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

5 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

6 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

7 outstripping   

v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Demand is outstripping supply. 需求快超过供给了。
• Demand is outstripping current production. 现在需求逐渐超过了生产能力。 来自辞典例句

8 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

9 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

10 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

13 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

15 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

16 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

17 peeking   

v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出

参考例句：

• I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer. 我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。
• They caught him peeking in through the keyhole. 他们发现他从钥匙孔里向里窥视。 来自辞典例句

18 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

19 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

20 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

21 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

22 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

23 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？