Letter to Michael Pense, Vice President, Alex Azar, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Robert R. Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Matsui Calls on Vice President, HHS and CDC to Further Expand and Expedite Coronavirus Testing After Patient Diagnosed in Sacramento

Letter

Dear Mr. Vice President, Secretary Azar and Director Redfield:
I am writing to express deep concern regarding the delay in testing a patient currently being treated at the University of California-Davis Medical Center for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). To confirm the diagnosis, I understand that UC Davis Medical Center's only course of action was to request the test from federal public health officials, as local health departments are not allowed to issue tests at this time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subsequently denied the provider's immediate request to test for COVID-19 because the patient's known exposure did not fit existing testing criteria, delaying the critical diagnosis for almost a week.
State public health officials in Sacramento, citing the CDC, are reporting that this case is the first confirmed case of community transmission of the virus. I appreciate CDC's swift action to change testing criteria to include persons hospitalized with severe acute respiratory illness in response to this case. However, with a confirmed case in our community, my constituents cannot afford any further delays. We must remove remaining barriers to the testing process that do not empower local officials to understand the true prevalence of COVID-19 and hinder our ability to halt the virus' spread.
Given these pivotal developments, it is imperative that the White House, HHS and CDC further expand and expedite testing protocols and streamline the process for COVID-19 testing across the country. We must equip our local providers with the supplies they need to rapidly test, diagnosis and treat suspected COVID-19 infections. I request that you immediately direct emergency resources to the Sacramento region to support urgent public health protection efforts.

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