For every documented COVID-19 infection during the first six months of the pandemic last year, five cases slipped by undiagnosed — roughly 16.8 million — according to a federal study led by a University of Maryland, Baltimore County graduate. Source: Baltimore Sun

While the progress toward widespread COVID-19 vaccination is encouraging, testing, masking, social distancing, contact tracing and isolation will continue to play a key role in limiting outbreaks and keeping schools and businesses open. Source: BENCH press

The final RADx portfolio of products to be developed and scaled includes a diversity of diagnostics from companies such as Illumina, Quidel, Fluidigm, and Mesa Biotech, and is likely to result in a near-term manufacturing boom in rapid antigen tests and over-the-counter home-use diagnostics. Source: genomeweb.

The DOD, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded $231.8 million to Ellume USA LLC to onshore production capacity of the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test for the United States. Read more at the Department of Defense website.

Some two dozen companies are working on tests that let you sample and process results at home, including some that connect to your smartphone. But widespread use is still likely months away. Source: The Wall Street Journal.

Organizations gained an easy way to assess the costs of COVID-19 testing plans this week, in the form of a free, online calculator funded and launched by NIBIB. Read more at Homeland Preparedness News.

A data analytics tool shows organizations how different COVID-19 testing strategies and other mitigation methods can help reduce the spread of the virus. Read more at Health IT Analytics.

Britain has become the first country to license a fully tested covid-19 vaccine. The Economist’s health policy editor explains why this a historic milestone. Read more at Economist..

A new tool sponsored by the NIH may be helpful in keeping holiday gatherings -- or any other meeting -- as safe and as coronavirus-free as possible. Watch at CNN.