Covid Test Kits: The government is going to be making test kits available for free. I don't have any interest in this. How about you? If I get the "common cold" symptoms, I'll assume I...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The government is going to be making test kits available for free. I don't have any interest in this. How about you? If I get the "common cold" symptoms, I'll assume I have it and stay home more than usual. If I do get test kits, I'll save them for my son, who goes to work every day.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I was just thinking about this last night. Biden says that he is going to produce(?) 1 billion test kits for everyone to have for free (here goes any cash in my wallet once again). Also in the news, it is now being reported that the Omicron variant is declining just as fast as it has spiked.

My question is this; Are we really going to need all of those test kits, or are they going to end up in that warehouse where they store the Arc of the Covenant?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

jerryc41 wrote:

The government is going to be making test kits available for free. I don't have any interest in this. How about you? If I get the "common cold" symptoms, I'll assume I have it and stay home more than usual. If I do get test kits, I'll save them for my son, who goes to work every day.

Yes, we will order some. My wife has to be tested to board a cruise ship later this month. My kids work in a retail environment, and they have recently moved back home to save up for their remaining year of school.

john vance Loc: Granbury,Texas

Waste of money.

rcarol

jerryc41 wrote:

The government is going to be making test kits available for free. I don't have any interest in this. How about you? If I get the "common cold" symptoms, I'll assume I have it and stay home more than usual. If I do get test kits, I'll save them for my son, who goes to work every day.

I do have an interest in test kits. Whether they are free or have a nominal cost is of no consequence to me. I am prone to catching pnuemonia so I need to stay on top of things.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

tainkc wrote:

I was just thinking about this last night. Biden says that he is going to produce(?) 1 billion test kits for everyone to have for free (here goes any cash in my wallet once again). Also in the news, it is now being reported that the Omicron variant is declining just as fast as it has spiked.

My question is this; Are we really going to need all of those test kits, or are they going to end up in that warehouse where they store the Arc of the Covenant?

From what I've heard, making a test kit is faster, easier, and less expensive than making the vaccine doses. I can understand how people who must be out among the public should be tested, but as Covid declines, so will the need for test kits. Still, the hospitals continue to accept Covid patients, and thousands of surgeries have been postponed. If these test kits help to keep more people from being hospitalized, that's good.

As for storing the leftover kits, I think many of them will be stored inside the Ark of the Covenant. Its powers will keep them from going bad.

I just checked, and they can last anywhere from several months to a year.

Look at this doctor's daily updates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1R09yIKqq4

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Some logic here:
- test kits do not prevent anyone from catching Covid
- test kits do not cure anyone who already has Covid
- you can test negative and have Covid 10 minutes later without knowing it
- you can test positive and already have infected a few or many people
- so you're admitted to a hospital and test negative; in a matter of minutes you can be positive
- so you're admitted to a hospital and test positive; you have already spread it to a number of people

I think test kits are a waste of time and money.

TonyF Loc: Bradenton, FL

I don't understand why people want to get tested if they don't feel sick. Oh, I guess if they're going on a cruise or overseas flight, but the lines I see at the testing sites don't seem to warrant those numbers.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

TonyF wrote:

I don't understand why people want to get tested if they don't feel sick. Oh, I guess if they're going on a cruise or overseas flight, but the lines I see at the testing sites don't seem to warrant those numbers.

If a test before a cruise is so great and useful, why do so many cruise passengers catch Covid?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

stanikon wrote:

Some logic here:
- test kits do not prevent anyone from catching Covid

That is the exact purpose for test kits. If you learn that you have Covid, you will (hopefully) stay away from people.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

stanikon wrote:

If a test before a cruise is so great and useful, why do so many cruise passengers catch Covid?

As much as I enjoy cruises, I wouldn't want to go one now. However, if someone tests positive, hopefully, he won't get on the ship. With a thousand people in close proximity for a week, it would be hard not to catch whatever's going around.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

jerryc41 wrote:

That is the exact purpose for test kits. If you learn that you have Covid, you will (hopefully) stay away from people.

The problem with that is that you have probably, at that point, already infected a number of people who have in turn infected a number of others. So you test positive; it is just about impossible to live in total isolation for any period of time. Even prisoners who are in solitary confinement have contact with other people.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

jerryc41 wrote:

As much as I enjoy cruises, I wouldn't want to go one now. However, if someone tests positive, hopefully, he won't get on the ship. With a thousand people in close proximity for a week, it would be hard not to catch whatever's going around.

So again, why do so many cruise passengers catch Covid? It appears that testing doesn't do anything to stop the spread.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

stanikon wrote:

So again, why do so many cruise passengers catch Covid? It appears that testing doesn't do anything to stop the spread.

Someone has to get it from someone else. While it's true that tests can give wrong results, it's also true that people often think of themselves. Would a customer who feels fine elect to stay home and miss out on the cruise? Would a crewman who needs the money stay on shore if he tests positive? Imagine going onto a cruise ship that did not require tests or vaccines. Anything is better than nothing.

Royal Caribbean gives refunds.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

CDC - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

This is all interesting. I just heard a report from a doctor that if 20 people get together now, statistically ( I have to be careful with this one since my Masters is in Statistical analysis) one of those persons is positive for covid and will infect at least one other person from that group. This doctor was referring to them being in a room or a small banquet area, not outdoors.