As a European: why are there chips in this? I just broke open mine and it looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/muz7FIy
I bought 50 of these 2 weeks ago. Were 3-4 euro a piece.
I bought 50 of these 2 weeks ago. Were 3-4 euro a piece.
There are some valid reasons for tests like this to exist. To quote later on in the linked Tweet thread [1]:
BTW it's easy to say this is wasteful, and it probably is, but just like with the pregnancy test, you should consider that there's three main problems that can affect the accuracy of lateral flow tests like this:
1. inconsistent lighting
2. incorrect timing
3. human error
having a 2$ computer chip and 50 cents worth of plastic & lenses removes all those sources of error.
And making it bluetooth removes a source of e-waste! it means it doesn't need to have a screen, it can just talk to your phone.
for example, consider that a bit more than 1 in 12 people have some kind of colorblindness.
Having a computer say "POSITIVE" or "NEGATIVE" is going to be easier to see then the uncertainty of "is that stripe red? can I just not see it?"
wait, so bluetooth is cheaper than paper?
But I have A product that I just did the math on. I was making a “dumb version“ that removed BLE and added two buttons. The BLE version would end up being cheaper. Of course this assumes that the Bluetooth software firmware is already completed, which for me it is.
A low-tech solution would be too boring or easy.
Seems unnecessary, but if people want to buy it…
Considering that this is an article used once for a few minutes the environmental cost for production and deposition is high and society shouldn't tolerate ...
Otherwise, I agree, seems wasteful when you look at what had to happen to ship that product.
Schools and food banks can hand out free self tests so there is definitely some kind of subsidizing going on here, but in a different way.
Keep in mind that R$100 means 10% of monthly minimum wage.......
Germany has approved a much larger number of test kits for use, per https://antigentest.bfarm.de/ords/f?p=110:100:4793921863454:::::. It was >50 as of August 2021 according to https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2021/08/te..., including from American companies that the FDA has not approved.
I suspect that the supply-restriction effects of the approval situation go a long way toward explaining the pricing differences...