Rapid Test Blues

Back in March of 2020, a scientist working at MIT developed a rapid test for the novel coronavirus. It wasn’t quite as accurate as a PCR, but would have gone a long way in detecting infectious cases during the emerging pandemic. But her test was never approved—and today, the U.S. is still behind other developed countries in our mass testing scheme. Guest: Lydia Depillis, reporter for ProPublica. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices