COVID-19 Testing

[matt819]

Until we have comprehensive testing:

We won’t know how widespread the virus is in the US.

We won’t know what the mortality rate of the disease is in the US.

We won’t know about the nature of the spread of the disease in the US.

We won’t know where to direct resources once they are widely available, if ever.


I’m inclined to agree with others who have posted here that we are about to move from inept and irresponsible to criminally negligent.

[gibraltar72]

1. About to??

[RockRaven]

2. The criminal negligence is 2 months in the rearview mirror by now.

Experts were shouting from the rooftops about it at the time.

[uponit7771]

3. K&R, at this point we have to have unfettered CV19 testing drive through testing like in South Korea

[Wounded Bear]

4. The Weather Channel was showing one of these from Colorado this morning...

IIRC. Cars lined up for miles.

[uponit7771]

8. Are they testing temperature or sticking that 2 ft swab up peoples noses? Red Don says they're test

... testing he's not saying they're testing for cv19

Democrats, all of us, better hold Trumps feet to the first on this ... his bullshit has hurt America so bad

[Wounded Bear]

11. That I don't know. Didn't see that detail...

[uppityperson]

5. K&R

[lapfog_1]

6. The thinking is... it's too late for testing and containment.

They ASSUME that nearly 80% or more of population WILL get the virus.

What they want to do now is stretch out the rate of infection through "social distancing" and self isolation. That "flattens the curve" of infection and, by extension, the rate of sever illness.

If that stretches out over the next, say, 6 months... then maybe our health care system can keep most of the severe case victims alive. If everyone gets sick in the next 2 to 3 weeks, probably 10% of us will die... in the hospital hallways and commandeered hotels they rent for that purpose.

Just like Italy or Iran right now.

But if we stretch things out over the next 6 months or so... self isolate as much as possible, then we can reduce the fatality rate to maybe 1%.

Just like China or South Korea right now.

So testing isn't important anymore... they ASSUME that if you are severely ill with respiratory distress... it's Covid-19. If you just have flu symptoms... good.

[Pobeka]

12. Well said! I'm hopeful the severe social distancing only lasts 2 months and it can relax a bit.

We'll see...

[AnotherMother4Peace]

7. People keep going out, saying "it's not bad yet" which is impossible to know without testing.

I'd say that Trump has been criminally negligent. A right wing relative is flying in from Florida and is planning to stay with his COPD mother - because Trump said it was a hoax. Yes, definitely criminally negligent.

[IggleDuer]

9. How accurate are the tests that are being done here?

Sensitivity? Specificity? Comparison to the WHO approved tests.

[spinbaby]

10. That is also a consideration

I keep remembering that Chinese whistleblower doctor who didn’t test positive until right before he died.