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Massive and frequent testing is our only way out of this

GreenRiverGatorzGreenRiverGatorz Member Posts: 10,160
That seems to be the mainstream consensus among those well versed in pandemic response. Noted experts @RaceBannon and @GrundleStiltzkin have already (rightly) pointed out that with so few people having been exposed, social distancing and an economic shutdown is just delaying the inevitable. Even if the number of infected is 10x as much as reported, which is on the high-end of estimates, that still leaves 97% of the country currently unexposed. So whether you shut down the economy for four weeks or four months, a second wave is nearly inevitable if you don't actually identify the clusters of outbreaks before they get out of control.

So we can keep doing this song and dance of opening, closing, and distancing for the next 18 months, which is probably the status quo needed to prevent the hospital system from being overwhelmed, and we'll all wake up when this is over in 2022 with a third world economy. Or we can actually inject some precision into our response and better understand who, when, and where infections are happening. That'll require testing to the tunes of millions per day, much larger than our current rate of 100,000 per day.

Noted liberal rag Vox (sorry @Sledog, you might want to sit this one out) gives a pretty good breakdown of the different estimates out there for how much testing is likely needed to open our economy back to an acceptable level. In short - we've got a long ways to go.

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/13/21215133/coronavirus-testing-covid-19-tests-screening
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Comments

  • GreenRiverGatorzGreenRiverGatorz Member Posts: 10,160

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Whether or not that's true is a moot point. The Tug isn't going to be in charge of the pandemic response anytime soon.

    What is true is that most of the world is convinced that letting the disease run amok will overwhelm the hospital systems. You can argue about how stupid that is, but no government is going to choose door 1 of "let's go back to normal with no mitigating steps". So the only realistic way out of here is wide scale testing.
  • GreenRiverGatorzGreenRiverGatorz Member Posts: 10,160

    Actually, my thought from the beginning is that regionally, many more people have been exposed than are known, and the vast majority of those were unaffected.

    Very possible, if not likely. Massive testing would reveal that truth and let us get back to normal that much quicker.
  • HustlinOwlHustlinOwl Member Posts: 953

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Could you share Friday's lottery numbers since you can see the future?
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 104,350 Founders Club

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Whether or not that's true is a moot point. The Tug isn't going to be in charge of the pandemic response anytime soon.

    What is true is that most of the world is convinced that letting the disease run amok will overwhelm the hospital systems. You can argue about how stupid that is, but no government is going to choose door 1 of "let's go back to normal with no mitigating steps". So the only realistic way out of here is wide scale testing.
    Is it most of the world or do we assume that because that is the story being shoved down our throat?

    I agree that the government and companies are going to be pussies until we make it clear. Its a huge issue

    If tests will open then test
  • GrundleStiltzkinGrundleStiltzkin Member Posts: 61,485 Standard Supporter
    edited April 2020

    Actually, my thought from the beginning is that regionally, many more people have been exposed than are known, and the vast majority of those were unaffected.

    Very possible, if not likely. Massive testing would reveal that truth and let us get back to normal that much quicker.
    And I'm not sure if "massive" testing is necessary. Smart randomized testing would probably suffice.

    edit: what @Bob_C said
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 104,350 Founders Club


    Fuck off. Tee it up boys
  • TequillaTequilla Member Posts: 19,823
    The problem with massive testing is that it’s really just a point in time result.

    Anybody can get tested right now, be clean, then go to the grocery store 30 minutes later and be infected.

    Save the testing for areas where there’s reason for concern ... can’t go through airport security unless you test negative
  • Dude61Dude61 Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 1,245 Swaye's Wigwam
    What will you do with the information obtained from mass testing that you can act on today without mass testing? Other than help assuage fears? Testing is only a snapshot in time. People without antibodies are still at risk of being infected and those with antibodies are at risk of getting infected again as the virus mutates. All viruses mutate.

    Normal protocol is to isolate the sick and vulnerable and let the healthy go about their lives. If a vaccine becomes available let those that choose to get vaccinated do so. Continue to manufacture and make available HCQ as a treatment.

    The health authorities, their predictive models and the Governors that

  • GreenRiverGatorzGreenRiverGatorz Member Posts: 10,160
    Tequilla said:

    The problem with massive testing is that it’s really just a point in time result.

    Anybody can get tested right now, be clean, then go to the grocery store 30 minutes later and be infected.

    Save the testing for areas where there’s reason for concern ... can’t go through airport security unless you test negative

    Agreed, which is why the proposals don't rely on a single instance of testing and instead require frequent retesting until we can get a better idea of the exact scope of the problem. Start wide and then narrow.
  • GreenRiverGatorzGreenRiverGatorz Member Posts: 10,160
    Bob_C said:

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Now it seems like it’s shifted to a narrative that not one more person can die, doesn’t matter what that costs.

    We were lied to about the capacity issues being real, but at least that early narrative had some semblance of logic from a business and resources perspective.

    Mass testing is fucking stupid and isn’t going to happen. It’s totally unexecutable and not necessary, targeted sampling is enough.
    In your estimation, what does targeted sampling looks like? Most studies want us to get to that point, but until we know where the true weak points in the country are, it's just blind testing. I haven't read anything that suggests effective targeted sampling is possible without first having large scale testing.
  • dfleadflea Member Posts: 7,228
    Bob_C said:

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Now it seems like it’s shifted to a narrative that not one more person can die, doesn’t matter what that costs.

    We were lied to about the capacity issues being real, but at least that early narrative had some semblance of logic from a business and resources perspective.

    Mass testing is fucking stupid and isn’t going to happen. It’s totally unexecutable and not necessary, targeted sampling is enough.
    lol

    We put a man on the moon, can't pull off widespread testing.

    Sure thing.

    Business leaders told Trump mass testing is critical. Bulletin board Bob_C says it isn't, not even possible.

    Take you pick
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 104,350 Founders Club
    Testing has become an excuse

    But experts say..

    The same dumbfucks that got us here
  • GrundleStiltzkinGrundleStiltzkin Member Posts: 61,485 Standard Supporter
    Dude61 said:

    What will you do with the information obtained from mass testing that you can act on today without mass testing? Other than help assuage fears? Testing is only a snapshot in time. People without antibodies are still at risk of being infected and those with antibodies are at risk of getting infected again as the virus mutates. All viruses mutate.

    Normal protocol is to isolate the sick and vulnerable and let the healthy go about their lives. If a vaccine becomes available let those that choose to get vaccinated do so. Continue to manufacture and make available HCQ as a treatment.

    The health authorities, their predictive models and the Governors that

    That's kinda the whole point. Fear rules the day/week/months right now.
  • dfleadflea Member Posts: 7,228
    Business leaders got us here?

    No they didn't.

    These guys are experts - in business, not health care, and they say we need mass testing. Of course, the Coca Cola CEO got behind new Coke, so maybe they aren't experts.

    Is there a problem with mass testing? Is it about muh freedom? Did I miss the case against mass testing? Did Hillary say we need mass testing?
  • MelloDawgMelloDawg Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 6,494 Swaye's Wigwam



    Fuck off. Tee it up boys

    Massive win for the Field, in my opinion.
  • MikeDamoneMikeDamone Member Posts: 37,781

    The hospital system isn't and was never going to be overwhelmed.

    Whether or not that's true is a moot point. The Tug isn't going to be in charge of the pandemic response anytime soon.

    What is true is that most of the world is convinced that letting the disease run amok will overwhelm the hospital systems. You can argue about how stupid that is, but no government is going to choose door 1 of "let's go back to normal with no mitigating steps". So the only realistic way out of here is wide scale testing.
    “Most of the world” = politicians who panicked based on faulty computer models and then realized it was perfect opportunity to advance and agenda. See Gavin Newsom for details.
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