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It's the availability of the components used in the formula to make the media that is the issue and where you have shortages - particularly given that these items tend to be used for other viral testing. This is biotech stuff that is basically attaching markers to genetic material to induce fluorescence that can be qualitatively identified in specially-modified (common) instruments when the amount is over a certain threshold to be detectable.

The other problem (although it's good to have more involved in developing tests) is that the various tests being used are proprietary and are directly tied to a particular manufacturer's instrument (the modified fluorimeter). So there are variations in procedures and types of media required to process the samples to obtain a result.

And I completely disagree about the dismissal of spread via asymptomatic contact, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with "antibodies". It is exactly what the concept of a "Typhoid Mary" was about and is exactly the type of thing that is going on now. In her case, she actually had Typhoid harbored in her body (gallbladder), and it was being shed without her own body reacting to it, which had nothing to do with presence of "antibodies" to it.

Because it is unknown at this time how an individual may react to exposure to any one of the apparently many mutations of this virus that are circulating, that is what requires some type of mitigation.

Just because this virus isn't overwhelming SW PA, doesn't mean it won't eventually get there with the amount of travel that people do, and you want to be ready for it if it does come. The areas that seemed to have been initially most overwhelmed, regardless of earlier anecdotal community spread, were places with large airports that were directed to receive incoming flights from overseas as those countries were closing down (there were 13 designated airports I believe). Those folks then went back to wherever they lived and some brought the disease with them, and if those areas were densely populated, then it exploded.

Head in the sand doesn't make things go away. I agree that hysterics can be just as bad, but dismissal of science is never prudent.