Here’s why confirmed cases are becoming irrelevant.

[SirBarksalot]

Check out Wake County NC’s new criteria for who gets tested.
”Not all patients with the illness are tested. Wake County, for example, has said that it will no longer test people with mild symptoms, and will reserve tests only for people 65 and older, people with underlying health issues, first responders and health care workers.”
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article241168731.html#storylink=cpy

Wow. Why even test anyone? Seriously. What’s the point if that’s your criteria?

 

[SirBarksalot]

...and the fatality rate will be astronomically alarming.
Im assuming that Raleigh isn’t the only place in the country with testing criteria so extreme, but I’m also still questioning if this actually factual. It’s not like there are really many true local journalists any longer.
But if this is true, then how can you believe any statistics...other than the unemployment numbers.

 

[Bullldawg78]

The information we are being given (ER physician here) is that the tests have up to a 30% false negative rate as well. My hospital adopted similar testing plans last week.

 

[atomic dawg]

I’ve heard/read there are different types of test. Are some more reliable than others? Are most of the ones in the US a certain kind?

 

[NWADawg]

...and the fatality rate will be astronomically alarming.
Im assuming that Raleigh isn’t the only place in the country with testing criteria so extreme, but I’m also still questioning if this actually factual. It’s not like there are really many true local journalists any longer.
But if this is true, then how can you believe any statistics...other than the unemployment numbers.

Arkansas is supposedly doing limited testing also. Only over 60, comorbidity issues, or severe sickness only.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

It is clear that every state (HELL maybe every municipality) in the country has different criteria for who gets a test. It is impossible to make any logical conclusions about the severity of virus outbreak from the data that is being published daily which allows individuals with an agenda to use that data to support their predetermined narratives.

 

[WilCoDawg]

My guessing skills have the same accuracy rate.

 

[bulldogbaja]

Maybe at the moment, but several companies have poured a LOT of money into developing rapid, scalable tests. There is money to be made and therefore testing (both for active virtues as well as antibodies) will be mandatory in the very near future.

 

[Bullldawg78]

Right now we have 4 different options for testing the test that takes 5-7days is used on people sent home, there is a 1hour test used on healthcare workers with symptoms to confirm if they can keep working or not, also using one hour test on admitted patients.

 

[mcdawg22]

Man, I’m just here to party!

 

[SirBarksalot]

Hah..downvoted for posting facts. Whatever. Don’t care.
And what I meant when I said fatality rates would become alarming, is that if the group you are testing is becoming that narrowed to the very high risk, the percentage of fatalities will be that much greater. Obviously not every county is as stringent, so that’s my point. Getting accurate numbers is impossible.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

The assumption then has to be millions have/had it, millions have recovered, and thousands have/will die, some not even aware that they had CV-19. Amiright?

 

[Bullldawg78]

Sorry barskalot was trying to up vote you my suasage digits hit down, excellent point though death rates will be artificially elevated because we are no longer widespread testing to increase the denominator

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Apparently someone doesn’t understand how fatality rates work...your downvoter that is.

 

[gymdawg.sixpack]

I thought i had it 2 weeks ago. Went to a clinic and they said i had to prove i had been around someone diagnosed already and pass a screening before the cdc would approve a test be given to me because i was too healthy for a test to be wasted. My symptoms went away after about 10 days so who knows what i had.

 

[Cowdog]

I heard an ICU Pulmonologist from NYC on a call in show. He had a point on testing that I have not heard discussed enough.

His stance was the test is not useful in the treatment regiment. They have enough knowledge now to tell anyone with minor symptoms to stay home. We all should be limiting contact as much as possible anyway. He said they were relying on x-rays and blood work to predict who would crash and that the test really wasn’t that useful for them in treatment. If the x-ray and blood work indicate it is Covid but they had negative test, they are assuming Covid. They are re-testing and getting positives on these folks.

His biggest issue was with PPE’s. Done correctly they should be re-suiting completely with ever person they test for the safety of the patients as well as the health care providers. What he says is happening at most sights, are they are wearing the same PPE. They are averaging @ 10% positive at most places. Why waste the PPE that are in short supply and also risk infecting people that are not infected.

He also mentioned the high false negatives that 78 mentioned. If 25-30% of the folks test clear are actually positive, then you are probably lowering their level of caution and spreading it more.

Wait on the PPE manufacturing to ramp up here in the US. Then do the antibody test on everyone. The next thing we need to be determining is length of immunity.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yes and that’s also part of the problem without abundant testing. You’ve got people who have had it and may have just had mild or even no symptoms, people who have right now with very few symptoms, and people who have it with more serious complications. Not knowing how many people have it and are silent carriers is a concern especially when we get to the point where we start relaxing some distancing rules.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

In several interviews I’ve seen with Fauci he says that they are very sure immunity is happening with people who have had it.

 

[SirBarksalot]

And when all the public hears on TV for 3 weeks is testing, testing, testing, not enough tests, testing failures, we need more tests, of course people think they need to get tested.

Kind of like the whole “masks do t do any good” charade.