Re:Order your rapid tests from the USPS (US only)
by x0x0 on Tuesday January 18, 2022 @01:20PM
(#29983367)
> a reason for the mass testing
Covid is much more dangerous for the elderly than the young, even vaccinated. The young are so safe that there have been ~250 total covid deaths in the US age 0-4.
Also, there is growing evidence that the lateral flow tests correlate well with being infectious.
Testing reasons:
For lots of staff (medical, school, factories), to avoid unnecessary prophylactic isolations, particularly for people whose work cannot be done remotely. And for the same group of people, testing daily (were we in a competent country with the test manufacturing to support) could significantly reduce community spread. Daily tests are infeasible to do with pcr if for no other reason than the reporting lag.
For visiting high risk people: reasonably reliable, fast indicator of whether you have covid in order to make near realtime decisions about activities to engage in. Like masks, this will reduce community spread.
Covid is much more dangerous for the elderly than the young, even vaccinated. The young are so safe that there have been ~250 total covid deaths in the US age 0-4.
Also, there is growing evidence that the lateral flow tests correlate well with being infectious.
Testing reasons:
For lots of staff (medical, school, factories), to avoid unnecessary prophylactic isolations, particularly for people whose work cannot be done remotely. And for the same group of people, testing daily (were we in a competent country with the test manufacturing to support) could significantly reduce community spread. Daily tests are infeasible to do with pcr if for no other reason than the reporting lag.
For visiting high risk people: reasonably reliable, fast indicator of whether you have covid in order to make near realtime decisions about activities to engage in. Like masks, this will reduce community spread.