3 ms·

The point of the test is to tell the carrier if they should isolate to slow the spread - if you're asymptomatic today, take the test, get a negative, go to work

by dmbche 3y ago

The point of the test is to tell the carrier if they should isolate to slow the spread - if you're asymptomatic today, take the test, get a negative, go to work for the week, it's as if you didn't do the test. It's not to begin treatment. So it is a pretty big problem!

pc86 3y ago
This doesn't answer the question. Why, if asymptomatic cases are unlikely to infect others, is a false negative for asymptomatic cases a problem? Doesn't this all boil down to "if you feel sick, stay home, if you don't, don't worry about it?"
- blagie 3y ago
  unlikely ≠ won't Defense-in-depth gives a broad range of tactics, and the goal is to combine enough of them to limit risks.
  - pc86 3y ago
    "won't" isn't a reasonable standard. People get sick. You get other people sick. Other people will get you sick. It happens, and completely eliminating every occurrence is not a valid or reasonable goal.
    - blagie 3y ago
      Going from 50% to 75% to 88% to 94% to 97% to 99% to 99.5% reduction in risk carries an exponential increase in cost. Bringing risk to zero isn't a reasonable -- or possible -- goal, but how much this should decrease depends on individual and cultural profiles. If you think one risk profile is reasonable, and you're interacting with someone who has a much more conservative profile and putting them at risks they consider unreasonable, you're probably being a dick (and vice-versa). That's not just diseases -- it's everything from gun safety to outdoors safety to sparring. If you've been exposed to covid, and are asymptomatic, you should take reasonable precautions. For introverts, that might be staying at home. For others, it might be testing. For others, it might be using a high-filtration mask. It sort of depends on your preferences. Asymptomatic spread is pretty common, and it's not unreasonable to try to prevent it. If you've been exposed to covid and are symptomatic, you should take stronger precautions.
    - dmbche 3y ago
      If someone is testing themselves to make sure they will not spread it, they expect a level of certainity higher than the subjective "feel sick" - say you're visiting grandma who has asthma, and you take the bus everyday. I'd want to be as sure as I can be that I can't share it. This isn't saying everyone needs to be testing at all times and tests should be 100% effective - some situation require testing, and it'd be nice if it caught asymptomatic covid as well.

by dmbche 3y ago

pc86 3y ago

This doesn't answer the question. Why, if asymptomatic cases are unlikely to infect others, is a false negative for asymptomatic cases a problem? Doesn't this all boil down to "if you feel sick, stay home, if you don't, don't worry about it?"

blagie 3y ago
unlikely ≠ won't Defense-in-depth gives a broad range of tactics, and the goal is to combine enough of them to limit risks.
- pc86 3y ago
  "won't" isn't a reasonable standard. People get sick. You get other people sick. Other people will get you sick. It happens, and completely eliminating every occurrence is not a valid or reasonable goal.
  - blagie 3y ago
    Going from 50% to 75% to 88% to 94% to 97% to 99% to 99.5% reduction in risk carries an exponential increase in cost. Bringing risk to zero isn't a reasonable -- or possible -- goal, but how much this should decrease depends on individual and cultural profiles. If you think one risk profile is reasonable, and you're interacting with someone who has a much more conservative profile and putting them at risks they consider unreasonable, you're probably being a dick (and vice-versa). That's not just diseases -- it's everything from gun safety to outdoors safety to sparring. If you've been exposed to covid, and are asymptomatic, you should take reasonable precautions. For introverts, that might be staying at home. For others, it might be testing. For others, it might be using a high-filtration mask. It sort of depends on your preferences. Asymptomatic spread is pretty common, and it's not unreasonable to try to prevent it. If you've been exposed to covid and are symptomatic, you should take stronger precautions.
  - dmbche 3y ago
    If someone is testing themselves to make sure they will not spread it, they expect a level of certainity higher than the subjective "feel sick" - say you're visiting grandma who has asthma, and you take the bus everyday. I'd want to be as sure as I can be that I can't share it. This isn't saying everyone needs to be testing at all times and tests should be 100% effective - some situation require testing, and it'd be nice if it caught asymptomatic covid as well.