Thoughts on being tested for Coronavirus
A lot of criticism and griping is being made about COVID-19 testing.
You likely don't need or want to be tested.
If Canada tested 30 million Canadian's today it would be an exercise in futility. 30 million is roughly the population of the entire country by the way.
Why would it be a waste? Because all it tells you is who has the disease at the time they were tested.
The virus will STILL spread. And then what? Retest all 30 million people again tomorrow?
Even the worst case projections don't suggest that even 1 percent of Canadian's are infected at present. Don't believe me? 1 percent of 30 million is 300,000. Confirmed cases are at a little over 800 at the time of writing. Worst case estimates including guesses at those asymptomatic and untested put the number into the low 10's of thousands. So, still less than a 10th of a percent of Canadians. With less than 100th of a percent confirmed in any capacity.
That means that right now, between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10,0000 people would test positive.
If you're scrambling to be tested you are UNNECESSARILY stressing the system.
Overwhelmingly, the odds are, you don't have it. Demanding and seeking out increased rates of testing is just putting pressure on the system. One of the few sectors in the world which doesn't need any additional business at the moment is the health care industry.
Large scale testing does help get a more accurate picture of the scope of the infection rates. Which can be useful. But, much more important than that is controlling the rate at which it spreads and ensuring that resources are available for those in need of them.
I think everyone in the medical community would rather have less accurate data than more actual infections.
And getting tested takes you out of potential isolation and puts you around people you wouldn't normally be in contact with. In short, you're putting yourself at risk of being infected if you're not already. Or infecting others if you end up testing positive.
If you're not showing any symptoms (and have no underlying condition which might put at greater risk), you should probably wait for backlogs of supplies to die down unless you start feeling significantly unwell.
You likely don't need or want to be tested.
If Canada tested 30 million Canadian's today it would be an exercise in futility. 30 million is roughly the population of the entire country by the way.
Why would it be a waste? Because all it tells you is who has the disease at the time they were tested.
The virus will STILL spread. And then what? Retest all 30 million people again tomorrow?
Even the worst case projections don't suggest that even 1 percent of Canadian's are infected at present. Don't believe me? 1 percent of 30 million is 300,000. Confirmed cases are at a little over 800 at the time of writing. Worst case estimates including guesses at those asymptomatic and untested put the number into the low 10's of thousands. So, still less than a 10th of a percent of Canadians. With less than 100th of a percent confirmed in any capacity.
That means that right now, between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10,0000 people would test positive.
If you're scrambling to be tested you are UNNECESSARILY stressing the system.
Overwhelmingly, the odds are, you don't have it. Demanding and seeking out increased rates of testing is just putting pressure on the system. One of the few sectors in the world which doesn't need any additional business at the moment is the health care industry.
Large scale testing does help get a more accurate picture of the scope of the infection rates. Which can be useful. But, much more important than that is controlling the rate at which it spreads and ensuring that resources are available for those in need of them.
I think everyone in the medical community would rather have less accurate data than more actual infections.
And getting tested takes you out of potential isolation and puts you around people you wouldn't normally be in contact with. In short, you're putting yourself at risk of being infected if you're not already. Or infecting others if you end up testing positive.
If you're not showing any symptoms (and have no underlying condition which might put at greater risk), you should probably wait for backlogs of supplies to die down unless you start feeling significantly unwell.
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