>I doubt the lack of test availability is directly increasing mortality. Directly being the key word and kind of a weasel word. The real question should be if

>I doubt the lack of test availability is directly increasing mortality. Directly being the key word and kind of a weasel word. The real question should be if it is indirectly impacting mortality. For example by making cases look less numerous than they are which may result in a change in individual behavior and making it harder to track who has it so the people who might be able to go into far stricter isolation currently don't because their cost benefit analysis is saying it isn't yet at the threshold to do so. For example, I have a brother living with our parents who is still having to go to his job. Because of the current reported spread in our state, his job hasn't closed and it he doesn't think it reasonable to take quarantined leave. Further testing would give him better information to make the choice to skip out on his job for the sake of protecting our parents or may otherwise lead to his job temporarily closing. There is also the factor of if someone tests positive and is going to work they will be facing far more symptoms than if they can write it off as just being a cold or allergies. If someone shows up to work and has a positive test, the other workers are at a much better position to just walk on of the job until the manager sends the sick worker home than if the initial worker shows up with and claims it is a cold. None of these are direct, but all of these are indirect ways of reducing spread and mortality.