SCANning for Coronavirus... an Ounce of Prevention?

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” While it’s an old saying, it was one I thought of when Jay Shendure (core member of the University of Washington flu study team and an Allen Discovery Center leader) related the series of events that led to the sounding of the first U.S. alarm on COVID-19 -  SCANning for coronavirus.

Earlier this year, the UW Flu Study team was in the process of laying the groundwork to better surveil these respiratory seasonal invaders, when COVID-19 was detected as being a ‘hidden’ viral actor. Serendipitous? By expanding their testing to include COVID in addition to other viral candidates, suddenly its emergence was visible and trackable.  

That was a turning point. 

This data could then feed into models and drive the urgent path forward for scientific and public health teams across the region. As someone who lives in Seattle, it’s amazing to hear this first hand account describing the local research being performed around the clock in the early days and weeks, and the quick actions taken to get ahead of this 21st century global health threat.

These early efforts led to the formation of SCAN (Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network), an initiative that has been instrumental in allowing us to navigate this new and daunting pandemic landscape. By leveraging current biomedical expertise and infrastructure, creating ‘at-home’ COVID sampling kits, and ensuring rapid sample processing, the ability to assess the crisis as it evolved became possible.

We still are in the midst of this skirmish. 

However, the benefits of interweaving bioscience and technology into our daily lives –-looking for what is hidden, either at a personal or population level –- is vast, and opens the door not only for earlier interventions but also a healthier ‘us’. And while we can’t prevent all health issues, bioscience advances do mean that we can find them early and reduce the need for ‘a pound of cure.’