The Myth Of COVID-19 Testing

I often here we need more testing before opening the country back up.

Sounds good, but it really does nothing other than collect numbers.

It will not slow down the spread of the virus without mandatory quarantines.

The fact someone can test negative and still go positive because of a previous exposure that hasn't advanced enough to be detected at the time of the test.

A person could be tested, found negative and literally become contaminated during the process and go positive later.

People who have already been tested can become infected after and snice they already have been tested will not be retested unless they have symptoms of COVID-19, allowing the remainder of the others to believe they cannot infect anyone else, while they actually can.

Any thoughts?

 

The idea is to see how herd immunity numbers might be progressing and to know if previously infected people who showed no
symptoms can be re-infected.

Tired of some conservative claiming that if it isn't perfect, why bother ...
The old saying goes, "Don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good."

 

But that information really doesn't do any good when it comes to solving the problem, it just collects information, many times, false information or false negative information.

Never said it had to be perfect, but unless we are going to test everyone all at once, the daily testing becomes less valid with each passing day and therefore is useless.

 

Any information gained on possible immunity by those already infected and the length of said immunity is going to be very helpful. There is every indication
that this disease is going to be around for decades, not just a couple of months, so gaining long term information is incredibly useful. This disease
isn't a fast food hamburger, stop treating it like one.

 

Immunity is a different test.

It has not been proven all people develop an immunity because they where infected. there are many variables to developing immunity to any virus.

 

Antibodies are a different test, true. But if we were testing people for infection on a schedule, say every two weeks, that would give us some info about immunity as well. If someone tests positive, then negative, then positive again, that would help lead the scientific community in the right direction researching how effective our immune system is at "remembering" this virus.

Additionally, there is a period of time before symptoms develop where a person is contagious, and there are people who remain asymptomatic who are also contagious. Widespread, comprehensive testing would help those folks know that they're infected and that they should take extra precautions to avoid spreading the virus. There are folks on this forum who keep saying infected people should just stay home and the rest of us go about life as normal. Well, we need testing to identify those infected people.

So testing is not just an accumulation of numbers. It would give us a ton of info about the pathology of the virus.

 

This is an absurd argument only being made because Trumpers know we don't have adequate tests and never had.

Testing is how pandemics are dealt with

Those "numbers"...

tell experts where the virus is strong and where it is not. It allows them to identify carriers and contact trace to others. It identifies points of infection as well.

Testing is knowledge and knowledge is power.

Without it we are powerless

 

But to get a decent sample requires millions of tests and millions of hours to do the testing and this country's health care doesn't have the resources to do such large scale testing.

We don't line people up for any other virus testing, why this one.

 

So tell us how many test are adequate?

 

Keep your hatred of Trump out of this discussion.

Yes those consider possible are tested and treated as required, people who are not need not be tested.

That's a well known fact without testing everyone over and over again.

Exactly, it is a political power play and the U.S. people are being used as pawns to achieve that goal, many of them without realizing it, just like they have been used in the past to exploit many other crisis which where used to gain power over the people.
.

 

At least double what we are doing now

 

We use to tell ourselves that we were the greatest nation on earth...that there was nothing we couldn't do,,,you've given up on that rather quickly

Because it's killing two thousand people a day and screwing up every part of our country?

Sorry...pointing out the lack of tests seems to trigger Trumpers

 

Sounds like the lefty argument against hydroxycloroquine.

 

If you know where your vulnerabilities are you can cover for them. If you know where people have herd immunity you don’t need to waste resources in one community and can prepare in another one. Knowing where diseases pop up is an important part of health policy.

 

I have given up on anything, but it's time to get back to work...Based on your other post, it is you who has given up and has gone into seclusion for your own safety and expect everyone else to do the same, sorry that isn't happening for most people, get over it.

Nothing compared to car accident deaths per day, maybe shutting down driving could be more effective way to reduce deaths and just as damaging to the economy, what do you think?

I am not a Turmper, so take your Trump hating elsewhere and cease polluting this thread with anti-Trump trolling.

 

Right now very little testing is for immunity, moot point.

 

You need look no further than S. Korea to see what can be done with good testing and tracking.
We could have 1500 dead instead of 75,000.

 

Hey, did you ever solve a problem where you said: I'd rather have less information than more? That should answer your question.

I agree with Lesh, however. The reason Trump fans are pretending testing is not important is because they know the US response on the testing front has been woefully inadequate. Any argument to protect Trump....

 

Yeah, antibody testing in the US is also far behind. My sister took an antibody test in Germany two weeks ago. Now, try to get one in the US.

 

Right now very little testing is for immunity, moot point.

 

There is enough information in place, further testing provides nothing more then showing people are infected, which does nothing to solve the problem.

 

Yup. That's what was proposed.

Yup. You said "I often here(sic) we need more testing", and then you said "a person could be tested, found negative and literally become contaminated during the process" and you cite various problems with testing and later infection, like "people who have already been tested can become infected after and snice they already have been tested will not be retested unless they have symptoms of COVID-19".

Yes, and that is why we need more testing, tracking, quarantines, AND A VACCINE.

Is testing, alone, a perfect answer? Hell no. But the alternative is no testing, go back to work, infect, deaths go up and up and up.

Do you have another scientifically backed alternative?

 

I'd point out the "flaws" in your "logic" but they're so glaring ...it's not necessary

You just say ****...even YOU don't believe

 

Yeah, another testing debacle.

FDA reverses policy that let over 100 antibody tests on market without review

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...ests-after-congressional-investigation-233867

 

Absurd on its face.