4 ms·

> A negative doesn't tell us much (as she could still have it), but a positive is a strong indication that she should be avoiding patient interactions and likel

> A negative doesn't tell us much (as she could still have it), but a positive is a strong indication that she should be avoiding patient interactions and likely self-isolating at home. Doesn't it only tell you if you should now be immune once your sickness is over? Otherwise you have to act like you have it if you have the symptoms regardless of the test. Avoiding patient interactions and self isolating should happen regardless, shouldn't it?

SkyPuncher 7y ago
In theory, yes. Sensitivity and Specificity should be considered. In practice, there's a lot of BS going on in the healthcare system right now - these tests are often taken at face value. It's unfortunate, but somewhat understandable given the extreme circumstances of our health care environment. If everyone with mild symptoms (likely not COVID related) had to self-isolate for two weeks, we wouldn't have any healthcare workers left to care for people. This seems to be a "good enough" approach for most healthcare systems.