> 4. We’ll probably have new rapid tests by the summer. They go a long way to reducing spread without much inconvenience. Michael Mina has been banging his head

> 4. We’ll probably have new rapid tests by the summer. They go a long way to reducing spread without much inconvenience. Michael Mina has been banging his head against the wall for months to get people to listen: these can be as effective as lockdowns and much less burdensome. The “inconvenience” in the USA (besides outright coronavirus deniers and people who flout restrictions in contempt of expert and professional public health officials) is that there is no guaranteed paid sick/isolation leave if one is ordered to go into isolation. Given that 40% of Americans have less than $400 for a “rainy day”, going to work while sick may be necessary. Also, in a lot of cases, no job: no health insurance, which is tragic and consequential during a pandemic. You also need to have a strong public health system in place well in advance, where citizens already have been following and adhering to prevention programs for a long time, along with trust in the system. The EU countries generally do better with this, in the most general sense, but it depends on the country. For example, there are published reports of what percent of the country’s population washes their hands every time after they use the restroom. Some of the more “eastern” EU countries (which are now westernized) do way better that west/north Europe. Also, some countries routinely issue self-isolation orders for 14 days, and the police will check, multiple times. In some countries these fines are over $1,200 for the first offense, and for the second offense, it’s $20,000. Both of these fines are unaffordable for the majority of the population. Anyways, my point is that rapid self tests do work, but it requires a properly functioning government, with a strong public health system, and a cooperative public that trusts their officials and adheres to public health recommendations well before a pandemic occurs.