Is coronavirus testing really important for opening America?

[theguru]

I don't see the logic.

 

Someone can get a test, be negative, and contract the virus on their way out the door from the testing center, at the grocery, at Home Depot, at the park, etc. In other words, all a test tells us is at the second in time someone is tested they are either negative or positive. In other words, moving forward the negative test result is essentially useless because none of us have any way of knowing if the tested subject remains negative until they are tested again.

 

Additionally, the jury is still out on antibodies/immunity for people that have had the Rona. In other words, just because you got it once doesn't mean you can't get it a second time. So even if you have antibodies, so what, the antibodies don't necessarily give you immunity from being reinfected.

 

My point is when you think this through testing is a big nothing burger other than the whole testing process is used as a "sleight of hand" manipulation to continue to justify taking away our freedom.

 

What am I missing here?

[GrantNKY]

The test is essential because it allows people to know if they are positive. The more people get tested, the more positive tests there are and the more the people with positive tests stay home. If you know you’re positive, you’re quarantining for 14 days. Your point is valid for negative tests only truly being valuable in the time of the test, but for those that are positive it gives them the ability to be home. If we can get the positive tests to stay home, then it will drastically decrease the spread of the virus. In a perfect world if all 300+ million Americans had the test today and everyone positive couldn’t step foot out of their home or a hospital for 14 days then all the ones that were negative could go back to “normal” life because the chance of contracting the disease will be lowered dramatically. That’s why testing is important.

[theguru]

The test is essential because it allows people to know if they are positive. The more people get tested, the more positive tests there are and the more the people with positive tests stay home. If you know you’re positive, you’re quarantining for 14 days. Your point is valid for negative tests only truly being valuable in the time of the test, but for those that are positive it gives them the ability to be home. If we can get the positive tests to stay home, then it will drastically decrease the spread of the virus. In a perfect world if all 300+ million Americans had the test today and everyone positive couldn’t step foot out of their home or a hospital for 14 days then all the ones that were negative could go back to “normal” life because the chance of contracting the disease will be lowered dramatically. That’s why testing is important.

 

All that means is if you test positive you quarantine for 14 days and then you are right back to square one because you can get reinfected.

 

I still don't see the logic.

[Irish Cat]

At this point I think ramping up testing will only serve to confirm what many people already believe, that way more people have / have had the virus than we can currently confirm. This in turn will substantially lower the death rate, which I think would give people more confidence to return to normal. A death rate of 5% is so much scarier than even .5%. There is no way the current death rates being thrown about are accurate, having some proof of this I think will ease a lot of peoples minds.

[PurplePride92]

I don't see the logic.

 

Someone can get a test, be negative, and contract the virus on their way out the door from the testing center, at the grocery, at Home Depot, at the park, etc. In other words, all a test tells us is at the second in time someone is tested they are either negative or positive. In other words, moving forward the negative test result is essentially useless because none of us have any way of knowing if the tested subject remains negative until they are tested again.

 

Additionally, the jury is still out on antibodies/immunity for people that have had the Rona. In other words, just because you got it once doesn't mean you can't get it a second time. So even if you have antibodies, so what, the antibodies don't necessarily give you immunity from being reinfected.

 

My point is when you think this through testing is a big nothing burger other than the whole testing process is used as a "sleight of hand" manipulation to continue to justify taking away our freedom.

 

What am I missing here?

 

The more testing that is done the quicker you can get back to your freedoms. We can’t find the asymptomatic people if they aren’t being tested. The asymptomatic people are likely the main culprits of it spreading since they never show any symptoms at all.

 

Also, with more testing and more positive cases that will allow for more clinical research to be done which will also get you back to your freedoms quickly.

 

Without a vast amount of testing and then releasing everyone back into the pool there will still be plenty of people peeing in the pool. Just because you can’t see it or taste it doesn’t mean there isn’t pee in the pool.

 

I say all of this knowing that herd immunity or some version of it is getting closer and closer to reality. Survival of the fittest until 2021. The folks who have still have money will likely emerge.

 

Better save your chicken.

[theguru]

At this point I think ramping up testing will only serve to confirm what many people already believe, that way more people have / have had the virus than we can currently confirm. This in turn will substantially lower the death rate, which I think would give people more confidence to return to normal. A death rate of 5% is so much scarier than even .5%. There is no way the current death rates being thrown about are accurate, having some proof of this I think will ease a lot of peoples minds.

 

Generally speaking I agree with you but that is a psychological basis for testing (feel good metric) and not much more.

[theguru]

The more testing that is done the quicker you can get back to your freedoms. We can’t find the asymptomatic people if they aren’t being tested. The asymptomatic people are likely the main culprits of it spreading since they never show any symptoms at all.

 

Also, with more testing and more positive cases that will allow for more clinical research to be done which will also get you back to your freedoms quickly.

 

Without a vast amount of testing and then releasing everyone back into the pool there will still be plenty of people peeing in the pool. Just because you can’t see it or taste it doesn’t mean there isn’t pee in the pool.

 

I say all of this knowing that herd immunity or some version of it is getting closer and closer to reality. Survival of the fittest until 2021. The folks who have still have money will likely emerge.

 

Better save your chicken.

 

I don't believe that is logical.

 

Furthermore, obviously there was a "patient zero" meaning even if we could track down almost every asymptomatic person in America it only takes one infected (another patient zero) to start the second wave of Rona infections.

 

And herd immunity is definitely the plan even though it isn't mentioned much because it is taboo. Think about it, our latest greatest models went down a few thousand deaths AFTER the phased openings were announced.

[GrantNKY]

All that means is if you test positive you quarantine for 14 days and then you are right back to square one because you can get reinfected.

 

I still don't see the logic.

What? If there aren’t positive people out in public then it doesn’t spread.

[PurplePride92]

I don't believe that is logical.

 

Furthermore, obviously there was a "patient zero" meaning even if we could track down almost every asymptomatic person in America it only takes one infected (another patient zero) to start the second wave of Rona infections.

 

And herd immunity is definitely the plan even though it isn't mentioned much because it is taboo. Think about it, our latest greatest models went down a few thousand deaths AFTER the phased openings were announced.

 

It’s super logical and could have been done fairly easily with proper coordination considering our vast resources. By all accounts testing in the US should be at an acceptable level in another couple of weeks. So we got serious about The Rona in mid-March and finally by some time in May testing nationwide will be considered adequate by doctors and scientists.

 

We still lost 40K and counting Americans in about a one month period and that will always be inexcusable in my eyes. How many we lose once we re-open and begin Phase One of herd immunity remains to be seen.

 

The Rona will likely kill more Americans this year than any war that we have had but as long as folks can go outside to play it doesn’t matter.

 

I gotta retire and get away from here. Lol.

[Voice of Reason]

This doesn't seem that difficult to follow. Maybe I am missing something in the question.

 

Simple question- why are we in shutdown?

Easy answer - to prevent the rampant spread of the virus.

 

Why testing? To prevent the rampant spread of the virus without everyone being in lockdown. With testing only the positively tested people go into lockdown and we greatly reduce the number of infected people in public spreading the virus. We need to test anyone who may be infected and get the infected into quarantine. Then we need trackers contacting those who the infected were in contact with in the prior days to test them. If they test positive, get them quarantined.

 

If people want to open things up with no treatment and no vaccine, you must test. If no testing, no treatment and no vaccine, how can we open things up? That is what got us into lockdown mode and what puts us all back into lockdown in 1-2 months again if we open without any of those 3 pieces.

[theguru]

It’s super logical and could have been done fairly easily with proper coordination considering our vast resources. By all accounts testing in the US should be at an acceptable level in another couple of weeks. So we got serious about The Rona in mid-March and finally by some time in May testing nationwide will be considered adequate by doctors and scientists.

 

We still lost 40K and counting Americans in about a one month period and that will always be inexcusable in my eyes. How many we lose once we re-open and begin Phase One of herd immunity remains to be seen.

 

The Rona will likely kill more Americans this year than any war that we have had but as long as folks can go outside to play it doesn’t matter.

 

I gotta retire and get away from here. Lol.

 

We disagree on the logic this time and I hear you PP92, I need to workout and spend some time away from the Rona.

[Jumper_Dad]

Coronavirus/COVID 19 is the perfect storm of suck, as far as viruses go. What I mean by that is it apparently spreads very easily, carriers of the virus are infective way before showing symptoms and it's deadly but not too deadly.

 

It transfers through touch and seems to also be airborne, so being in proximity of a carrier almost makes it certain that without PPE, the virus is getting to you.

 

If symptoms came before inactivity, we could just quarantine everyone with a fever and breathing issues.

 

If it was deadlier, it would also be easier to confine.

 

Testing as stated above, is a feel good measure at this point. We will just ride a rollercoaster up and down until a treatment or vaccine is ready.

[theguru]

What? If there aren’t positive people out in public then it doesn’t spread.

 

As I covered in post #7, it only takes one infected person and boom the second Rona wave is off and running.

[Voice of Reason]

The testing needed is not antibody testing. The testing needed is testing people who might be infected. We want to catch the infected as early as possible in their illness and then find others they may have infected as soon as possible so they don't spread the virus.

[theguru]

The testing needed is not antibody testing. The testing needed is testing people who might be infected.

 

Again, we are NEVER going to track down all the people who might be infected and we know it only takes one infected person/animal/surface/etc. to continue the spread.