//The race to make coronavirus testing as easy as a pregnancy test

The race to make coronavirus testing as easy as a pregnancy test

Health workers prepare to give people free Covid-19 tests at Barcroft Community Center in Arlington, Virginia, on May 26. | Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Rapid at-home tests are in the works, but without oversight, they could fail to live up to their potential. 

Despite having more coronavirus cases than any other country, America has a testing rate below several countries that have lower per capita rates of the virus.

The slow rollout of testing “has crippled us from making more progress and opening up the economy,” says Ryan Demmer of the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota.

While testing for active infections has much improved since March, tests are still in short supply in some areas around the country. And where tests are readily attainable, results can still take several days.

Now numerous companies are racing