These tests are only useful if they can be administered to large numbers of people efficiently and cheaply. Is Stanford working with insurance companies to make sure people can afford the testing?

This reads like a press release, not news. 12-24 hour tests have been available in public and private domain for a week.

If someone could come up with something that would give people clearance to fly and to see people who are most vulnerable (like elderly, sick parents in distance places), it would be a huge help. Students are getting their college acceptances and those who could not afford to visit until they saw acceptances are at a disadvantage. It would help a lot to board a flight knowing everyone had been tested and that you can be tested before you go see an elderly loved one.

Please, how soon could that be developed? It would help immensely in allowing us to restore more normal activity. Perhaps if the results were combined with surveillance, it could do a lot for helping the CDC understand what is and isn't happening in the community.

Here is is - Mike Pence announced that coronavirus testing is covered for free by Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance plans, including Obamacare. The Trump administration is "considering" paying for testing uninsured people. For now, they have to cross their fingers. NBC News report: Web Link

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Meanwhile, European countries, with single payer health care have been running thousands of test per day every day for many days already. So much for the exceptional medical system in the US!

As I understand it, the current tests look for the virus's DNA in swabs from people's throat and upper respiratory system. This is Really Useful, but will only show a result where the disease is reasonably far along. If someone is infected but isn't yet showing symptoms, then unfortunately the test may well come in blank as the virus isn't yet coming out in volume in the throat, etc. The tests are finicky, so there will also be a certain number of false positives, where the test reports a problem but the patient is actually OK.

Antibody tests are also under development. These will test people's blood to show if their immune system has defended against the virus. Again, this Really Useful, but it will typically only show a result after the patient has largely fought off the disease. So it won't be useful in early diagnosis.

Just to be clear, I believe both these tests are important and Really Useful. But they aren't a magic bullet in detecting the disease in its early stages. People can pass both tests but already be infected.

Right now, when there is a limited supply of test kits, given that the tests aren't effective in the early stages, it may make sense to save the kits for people who are actually showing symptoms.

@Midlander
People can be infected and contagious for so long with this pathogen before being symptomatic, that just seems like a reactive strategy that will do little to nothing.

Given that there is a theoretical window to stop the virus from becoming endemic (globally), we should be ramping up testing and test development like people’s lives and our national economy depend on it. I as agree with @parent that testing works best if done early and often. If the tests don’t catch it then the tests need to be improved, fast.

I would love to see a combination of testing and mandates for more distance between airline seats to make the air travel industry function again

Community transmission is becoming more common; soon you can test negative and be exposed while leaving the doctor’s office. Testing will soon be of minimal value.

Can you report on progress for vaccines? Any info on Gilead’s testing in China? Any other development?

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Are you still at risk of complications from Coronavirus if your underlying conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are controlled by drugs ?

Until we have an Antibody test that show if people's immune system has defended against the virus, it is important to test as much people as possible, because then we will know who is imune and can be back to normal activities that will save lifes and will put the economy working again.
Otherwise, the best individual strategy, if you are young and healthy, is to get I'll as soon as possible, get tested and go back to work.