While necessity is the mother of invention, anomalies have formed the basis for most disruptive discoveries that seed innovations in the sciences. They provide the impetus for paradigm change within a field and reflect differences between observed and theoretically expected data. The coronavirus pandemic was such an anomaly that spawned innovation in the molecular diagnostic testing market and initiated a paradigm change in public health policies, regulatory hurdles, and consumer views of point-of-care (POC) testing. Prior close calls with other viruses, including SARS, MERS, and Ebola, should have prepared the world for the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, many nations, including the United States, found themselves largely unprepared.

Read the full article >