Re:Harvard epidemiologist: my colleagues assumed UK coronavi...
by joe_the_user on Monday March 16, 2020 @03:36AM
(#22590780)
Why? When you have aggressive testing everywhere, eliminating the virus seems quite possible. Moreover, when you move slowly to reopen and test aggressively, you can detect any reappearance and squash it.
A variety of the world's diseases are controlled by testing and surveillance, not by cures - TB, for example.
Re:Harvard epidemiologist: my colleagues assumed UK coronavi...
by thu2111 on Monday March 16, 2020 @07:26AM
(#22591759)
What does aggressive testing everywhere mean though? People spread it whilst asymptomatic. They don't know they need testing. There aren't enough test kits to literally test everyone over and over, and people wouldn't put up with it anyway.
Most viruses aren't as infectious as this one is, comparison to TB or even previous SARS viruses doesn't work for that reason. You can track people down by them expressing symptoms, then test them, then isolate them and it works. That hasn't worked so far with this.
I don't think anyone knows for sure what strategy is going to work best in the meantime, considering experts disagree and the world is conducting a massive A/B test...