How do you even get covid?

[amerikajin]

18 hours ago, Redhead14 said:

I agree that getting tested is a waste of time, unless it's a test for the antibodies, maybe.  The test is only good for the moment it's taken.  After you leave the testing site, you could become exposed at anytime. 

Not true at all. There is absolutely value in getting tested, if for no other reason than to alert others who've been around you that they, too, might be infected and at risk of infecting others. Testing the socially responsible thing to do.

You can also absolutely reduce your chances of getting infected after the test if you behave cautiously. COVID is spread through human behavior: behave cautiously and you reduce your chances of getting infected.

You get tested for COVID for the same reason you get tested for HIV. To get yourself treated as soon as possible, but also to alert others who've been exposed because of contact with you. It's the same principle, even if the mode of transmission is different.

[amerikajin]

1 hour ago, notbroken said:

Make no mistake, lots of people got this rioting even if the media doesn't report that.  People carry the virus.  It is contagious.   Going where there are people is risky behavior.  Going where there are lots of people is even riskier.    It takes about 3-4 weeks from an event for the numbers to show up.   Back track to the dates of the riots and Memorial Day and look at the trends.   It takes about a week from exposure to become infected.  People are in denial for a few days as they get sicker and infect others.   They finally get tested and then it takes a while to get the results.  In then takes a little while longer for that to actually show up in the stats.  Hence 3-4 weeks from large gatherings to showing in the stats.  Memorial Day was a disaster here in the US.   Riots.  Partying.  People were sick of being inside and went out like it was 5 years ago.  We are all paying for it now.     

I think that the protests have been documented in the spread of COVID. The problem is, they have to have ways to document the spread before they can conclude with certitude where an infection was acquired. This is why it's important to do contact tracing, and why it's important to participate in these efforts if you get called by an interviewer: people can confirm where they got the disease from.

So far, it seems most people are getting it in the following ways:

* Work

* Family or friend gatherings (i.e. smaller social gatherings or in a household)

* Large social or public gatherings (I presume to include protests as well)

 

[Piddy]

21 hours ago, Spring1234 said:

Does anyone know why so many people line up in their cars to get tested? Like what's the point? If you're sick, quarantine yourself and assume you have it. If you're really sick go to the hospital. What's the point of people who have no symptoms get tested? 

I would never wait in these long lines.

One of my golf buddies wife had it and I was exposed to him minimally playing golf before he had symptoms.  I'm retired, but my wife had to tell her HR person the story.  She advised us to both get tested even though we had no symptoms.

We sat in line in our car and got tested.  The tests came back two days later negative.  So she was able to go back to work, even though she works from home most of the time, but does have to go into the office here and there. 

So by being tested quickly it allowed her to be around the women that work for her when they all went into the office.  They where masks and do social distancing.

I know that's anecdotal.  Also, because of so many being asymptomatic, it may be wise to get tested if you knowingly were around a person who tested positive even if you don't have symptoms.  There's so much that is unknown about this virus.  

Edited August 3, 2020 by Piddy

[Spring1234]

3 hours ago, amerikajin said:

Not true at all. There is absolutely value in getting tested, if for no other reason than to alert others who've been around you that they, too, might be infected and at risk of infecting others. Testing the socially responsible thing to do.

You can also absolutely reduce your chances of getting infected after the test if you behave cautiously. COVID is spread through human behavior: behave cautiously and you reduce your chances of getting infected.

You get tested for COVID for the same reason you get tested for HIV. To get yourself treated as soon as possible, but also to alert others who've been exposed because of contact with you. It's the same principle, even if the mode of transmission is different.

You don't results quick enough. If results came back in 24 hours that would be good, but getting results back in a week or 2 is useless. I

Only politicians and sports athletes can have rapid testing, USA stinks. 

[amerikajin]

50 minutes ago, Spring1234 said:

You don't results quick enough. If results came back in 24 hours that would be good, but getting results back in a week or 2 is useless. I

Only politicians and sports athletes can have rapid testing, USA stinks. 

Unfortunately, I have to agree that this is true in a lot of cases. Our testing has been a real problem from the get-go, but it is improving and there is (most of the time) value in getting tested versus not getting tested.

[QuietRiot]

15 hours ago, amerikajin said:

Unfortunately, I have to agree that this is true in a lot of cases. Our testing has been a real problem from the get-go, but it is improving and there is (most of the time) value in getting tested versus not getting tested.

Yeah, we are having rapid testing popping up in select locations now in our more suburban area.