| By now it's well-known that shortages of key supplies have hamstrung Covid-19 testing in the U.S. But the same outages are also limiting testing for other illnesses, like urinary tract infections, gonorrhea and lung pathogens in patients with cystic fibrosis. This new trend was shaped by a months-long focus on ramping up Covid testing: Manufacturers say that with most medical care interrupted, they prioritized Covid-related supplies. And yet "the impact of this supply chain is much, much greater than if we can't get our Covid tests in 24 hours," says Melissa Miller, who directs the clinical and molecular microbiology labs at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Individual patients now may have to accept longer waits for results and less frequent testing. And it raises bigger-picture risks, like doctors missing disease-causing pathogens or turning to broad-spectrum antibiotics more often, which can foster antibiotic resistance. The episode highlights something doctors worry about: that our longstanding emphasis on the new coronavirus comes at the cost of other diseases. The implications of that will likely keep emerging for some time.— Emma Court | 
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