Comment by joe_the_user | Hacker News Reader

Comment by joe_the_user | Hacker News Reader

The idea that one should limit testing seems extremely misguided.

I would note: South Korea and Italy had equivalent infection figures today. South Korea's mortality rate has held steady at .6% while Italy's has been around 4% - quite a bit more death. Basically, strong evidence South Korea is good model for controlling Covid. [1]

Korea has had a policy of aggressive testing, aggressive tracking infections and publishing infectees previous locations online (but not names).

There's literally drive-through testing. Anyone who wants to get tested can be tested. [2]

[1] https://covid19info.live/

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-south-korea-drive-t...

Edit: Article from the Atlantic: "Exclusive: The Strongest Evidence Yet That America Is Botching Coronavirus Testing" [3]

[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-many-...

I spoke to someone working in an ER in New York City. People are walking in, no symptoms, no travel history, no contact with any known cases - demanding to be tested for coronavirus. They'll say ridiculous things like "my neighbor (who they've had no contact with) went to Thailand last month. I want to be tested.". People are panicking.

If tests were infinite, then fine - but as long as we have a finite number of test kits, there have to be limits.

...but I think we fundamentally agree - we need MANY more test kits. ...and it would be great to have so many that we could operate at-home or drive-thru testing. I think we'll get there.

Ideally, everybody would be tested! But the tests are expensive and in limited numbers (even if free in some countries for people, health authorities still pay for them). And people also won't volunteer to get tested unless knowing they are at high risk.

Apparently there are two strains. One is lower transmission but higher mortality and is prevalent in Iran. If Italy has more of the one with higher morality, that might make their numbers higher.

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