Coronavirus: The Sick Elephant In The Room
- Thread starter Rider
- Start date
I doubt we will ever reach the capacity to do a test on anyone who wants one. Just like any other illness. Testing is only done when a specific illness is suspected. When you go to the doctor with a fever, they throw a general antibiotic your way. They don't draw blood and send it to the lab to test for the dozens (100s ?) of things that can give you a fever. Only if the antibiotic doesn't work do they do a round of tests. And then they only test for what they suspect.
On the subject of a vaccine, I wonder if some people are being too optimistic. Decades later we still don't have one for HIV. COVID-19 is a corona virus. We still don't have vaccines for other corona viruses like SARS and MERS that have been around for years.
COVID-19 is here to stay. We are going to have to learn to live with it. Could be as simple as masking up during reoccurring outbreaks. Sheltering in place and waiting for a vaccine or for the virus to go away are just not viable long term plans.
On the subject of a vaccine, I wonder if some people are being too optimistic. Decades later we still don't have one for HIV. COVID-19 is a corona virus. We still don't have vaccines for other corona viruses like SARS and MERS that have been around for years.
COVID-19 is here to stay. We are going to have to learn to live with it. Could be as simple as masking up during reoccurring outbreaks. Sheltering in place and waiting for a vaccine or for the virus to go away are just not viable long term plans.
When the world opens up again, and it will, we will all have to decide what we feel comfortable with. When HIV first appeared people who were infected were shunned. It took years before we understood that HIV was not passed through casual contact. While CONVID-19 appears very contagious, there are still many questions. The wife of a married couple I know caught it. She is a nurse so that is obvious. But her husband who has had intimate contact with her never got it. Ten of my cousins foolishly had a dinner party. I declined to attend. Four of them got sick, the other 6 did not. All the people I know who got it were never sick enough to be in the hospital. All recovered at home.
We still don't know enough about transmission and risk factors for hospitalization. Like I said we all will need to decide on our comfort level. I am sure that some people will avoid providers because of this. But in my mind, if I can catch it at a dinner party with family, or at the gym, or in a conference room during a meeting, then avoiding a provider makes no sense.
We still don't know enough about transmission and risk factors for hospitalization. Like I said we all will need to decide on our comfort level. I am sure that some people will avoid providers because of this. But in my mind, if I can catch it at a dinner party with family, or at the gym, or in a conference room during a meeting, then avoiding a provider makes no sense.
If you do not have symptoms what's the point?
For example if you do not have symptoms and you get tested today and are negative,
then next week if you do not have symptoms and you get tested and are negative,
then next week after that if you do not have symptoms and you get tested and are negative
etc.
Sounds like all you are going to accomplish is driving yourself crazy and spending a lot of $.
My advice (that you didn't ask for but I'm giving it anyway):
wear a mask, do your social distancing as best you can and get a hobby, exercise every day (maybe a friend to talk to?).
We are all in this together - this too shall pass.
G
For example if you do not have symptoms and you get tested today and are negative,
then next week if you do not have symptoms and you get tested and are negative,
then next week after that if you do not have symptoms and you get tested and are negative
etc.
Sounds like all you are going to accomplish is driving yourself crazy and spending a lot of $.
My advice (that you didn't ask for but I'm giving it anyway):
wear a mask, do your social distancing as best you can and get a hobby, exercise every day (maybe a friend to talk to?).
We are all in this together - this too shall pass.
G
My thinking on this (FWIW although I do have a science and math background but I do not have medical a medical background) is that, unless you can test everybody for antibodies, there should be only three reasons for such a test — in order of importance (although there may be enough testing capacity soon to be concurrent):
1. testing for those in critical professions where they will be in contact with infected people such as medical, public safety (cops, firemen, etc.) and critical industries such as food supply, transportation etc.
2. a random testing of sufficient sample size to allow inference with a reasonable level of confidence as to the percentage of total population that has antibodies for CORVID — and hence the % that had been infected.
3. testing for those people that will be returning to the workforce perhaps in stages.
As long as there isn't enough testing available for everybody, allowing people to get an antibody test because they just want to know their status is a poor use of those limited resources.
Just my 2¢
1. testing for those in critical professions where they will be in contact with infected people such as medical, public safety (cops, firemen, etc.) and critical industries such as food supply, transportation etc.
2. a random testing of sufficient sample size to allow inference with a reasonable level of confidence as to the percentage of total population that has antibodies for CORVID — and hence the % that had been infected.
3. testing for those people that will be returning to the workforce perhaps in stages.
As long as there isn't enough testing available for everybody, allowing people to get an antibody test because they just want to know their status is a poor use of those limited resources.
Just my 2¢
Genius, I agree with you. For most people in their everyday life I find preemptive testing miss leading. You go the clinic Monday morning and get tested. As you leave you get into a crowded elevator with someone who is infected. You get infected. Wednesday you hear back form the clinic that you are clear. Yet, you were infected after the test. When do you test again? The next day? Next week? Next month? This entire time you are walking around spreading CONVID-19 thinking you are clear. All a test will tell you is if you had it, currently have it, or don’t have right now. A test will not tell you about anything after the blood is drawn.
But I am afraid that Corona Anxiety will cause people to demand that they be tested, and to demand that the people around them be tested. I can almost envision a green “certified clear” button that people will display to indicate that they were tested and cleared. All the while not knowing that they were infected a few minutes after the test.
I noticed that places like Amazon are taking the temperature of their workers before allowing them into work. While that seems good in principal, we need to remember that a good 20%(?) of people infected will show no symptoms and yet be capable of spreading it. So, a temperature check will give a false sense of security.
But I am afraid that Corona Anxiety will cause people to demand that they be tested, and to demand that the people around them be tested. I can almost envision a green “certified clear” button that people will display to indicate that they were tested and cleared. All the while not knowing that they were infected a few minutes after the test.
I noticed that places like Amazon are taking the temperature of their workers before allowing them into work. While that seems good in principal, we need to remember that a good 20%(?) of people infected will show no symptoms and yet be capable of spreading it. So, a temperature check will give a false sense of security.