For many high-risk Americans, it’s hard to get a COVID test. Meanwhile, millions of tests are being used on the lowest-risk population on earth—immunized, young, …
For many high-risk Americans, it’s hard to get a COVID test. Meanwhile, millions of tests are being used on the lowest-risk population on earth—immunized, young, healthy students. At Princeton University, students get tested twice a week – three times if they play a sport. The hyper-testing isn’t just in the Ivy League. It’s rampant at many of the more than 1,000 U.S. colleges where vaccination is mandatory. This excessive consumption doesn’t just make it harder for others to find a test. It drives a secondary market where price gouging is common. The risk of being hospitalized for all fully vaccinated Americans is 1 in 26,000 for the week ending in Nov.27. And that risk is much, much lower for young students. One analysis of breakthrough infections by age found that the average age of a vaccinated person being hospitalized is 72 years. So why are using so many tests on the lowest risk segment of our population? The CDC has not helped with the dilemma caused by a shortage of tests.
