Why don’t we (still) have rapid viral diagnostics?

One of the most disappointing outcomes in the US from the COVID pandemic was the rise of the antivaxxer / public health skeptic and the dramatic politicization of public health measures.

But, not everything disappointing has stemmed from that. Our lack of cheap rapid tests for diseases like Flu and RSV is a sad reminder of our regulatory system failing to learn from the COVID crisis of the value of cheap, rapid in-home testing or adopting to the new reality that many Americans now know how to do such testing.