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Are tests so easily available now that they can be "wasted" on people just using them for convenience, instead of reserving the testing capacity for better use?
by matsemann 6y ago
Are tests so easily available now that they can be "wasted" on people just using them for convenience, instead of reserving the testing capacity for better use?
The test may anyway be worthless if you take it and then anyways have been exposed during a flight or so.
- lacker 6y agoYes. Near me at least in Oakland CA there are several providers that offer no-appointment, no-referral covid testing.
- sethhochberg 6y agoNYC and NY State are running TV ads reminding everyone to get tested often, because you can be contagious and asymptomatic and frequent testing helps detect that earlier. I'm sure there is regional variability... but in at least some places, it seems like tests are indeed plentiful. If I had to guess, the regions that have decided to handle the pandemic by largely doing nothing different than normal don't have great availability, but probably more for political reasons than logistical ones.
- renewiltord 6y agoDepends on the region. Urban California, for instance, has high testing capacity. I get tested here in SF pretty often and any time I'll be hanging out with people. Rural and semi-urban areas like SLO etc. are quite strapped on the other hand. EDIT: See below, my info was out of date by a week. I would hypothesize it's everyone who wants to be tested for the holidays.
- matsemann 6y ago> I get tested here in SF pretty often and any time I'll be hanging out with people Given the time it takes from exposure to symptoms and tests register it, isn't that kind of a false sense of security? Exposed on sunday - takes a test thursday that's negative - hangs out with friends on friday, kinda deal.
- renewiltord 6y agoNothing eliminates risk. There are only mitigation and constraint measures. In my case, and the case of those close to me, we find these measures adequate. If you were to spend time with me, you will know my entire protocol, and I will willingly show you my contact/movement history (I record each event on Google Calendar and I use Google Timeline History for maps). I understand if you have a different protocol.
- beamatronic 6y agoSeems like a simple recipe for anyone to improve their lot in life is "Learn Javascript; move to urban California"
- tshaddox 6y agoInterestingly, I've heard slightly differently from 2 of my Bay Area friends. They've said that local appointments have been fully booked up to Thanksgiving. I live here too but I haven't checked myself. It's possible they are only looking at the closest locations to their home.
- renewiltord 6y agoI just checked in San Francisco and they gave me a warning that they've never done before. I've had tests on a regular cadence earlier so I know this is fresh (last test was last week). So it looks like your friends are right and I was one week out of date!
- renewiltord 6y agoI'm in line right now. They have some capacity for signups at the scene.
- dragonwriter 6y ago> I would hypothesize it's everyone who wants to be tested for the holidays. That's probably a factor. The statewide case spike is probably also creating a testing demand spike even before considering holiday-related impacts, too.
- akiselev 6y agoIn San Diego, a family member and several friends working for various biotech companies and research institutes get tested weekly. However, those that don't have physical experiments to tend to are WFH and not receiving the test AFAIK. It's also easily available as a drive through test at every pharmacy I've seen throughout Southern California.