3 ms·

I've repeatedly tried to get tested. All in the bay area continue to require that you certify that you have chills, cough, fever etc. SUPER annoying. Sometimes

I've repeatedly tried to get tested. All in the bay area continue to require that you certify that you have chills, cough, fever etc. SUPER annoying. Sometimes you are just under the weather, sore throat etc and want to do your part - you cannot do that in the bay area. LA area I hear has removed the gatekeeping. You also have to have a doctors order. However, you can pay for antibody tests out of pocket around here - that part seems to have escaped the lock down on testing they have going. There's going to have to be a point at which they allow you to at least pay for your own test if you want - no certification or doctor referral needed. I don't know how we can take the idea that testing is a priority when they make it so hard to get tested.

lozenge 6y ago
How would you be doing your part by getting tested? Shouldn't you quarantine either way to "do your part"?
- jonlucc 6y ago
  There's a difference between the kind of quarantine expected with a positive test vs not knowing. Once you test positive, you're not supposed to leave the house at all for 14 days, and only then with clearance from the local health department (or physician depending where you are). If you don't know for sure that you had COVID, it would be reasonable to go back out after your "cold" symptoms alleviated. Part of the trouble is that there seems to be a lot of variation in symptoms in people who test positive.
- FireBeyond 6y ago
  Right. You can walk out of the testing facility and get infected on the way home. Too many people have said "I was tested, I don't have it", completely treating it as a continuum, not a point in time.
- tcoff91 6y ago
  It helps you know how strict you need to be within your household to prevent members of your household from becoming infected. It's difficult to sustain the level of vigilance needed to protect someone living with you in the next room if you're having extremely mild symptoms and you're not sure you're positive. If you know you're positive you could do something like get a hotel room for 2 weeks to protect your family.

lozenge 6y ago

How would you be doing your part by getting tested? Shouldn't you quarantine either way to "do your part"?

jonlucc 6y ago
There's a difference between the kind of quarantine expected with a positive test vs not knowing. Once you test positive, you're not supposed to leave the house at all for 14 days, and only then with clearance from the local health department (or physician depending where you are). If you don't know for sure that you had COVID, it would be reasonable to go back out after your "cold" symptoms alleviated. Part of the trouble is that there seems to be a lot of variation in symptoms in people who test positive.
FireBeyond 6y ago
Right. You can walk out of the testing facility and get infected on the way home. Too many people have said "I was tested, I don't have it", completely treating it as a continuum, not a point in time.
tcoff91 6y ago
It helps you know how strict you need to be within your household to prevent members of your household from becoming infected. It's difficult to sustain the level of vigilance needed to protect someone living with you in the next room if you're having extremely mild symptoms and you're not sure you're positive. If you know you're positive you could do something like get a hotel room for 2 weeks to protect your family.