[Goose]

All the buzz about the policy could encourage people with more mild symptoms to get tested. Maybe there is a spouse of a Costco clerk out there in LA who has mild cold-like symptoms, and this news could encourage them to go out and get tested when otherwise they might not.

I basically agree with all you said. I would add that there was a period of time early on when there was probably adequate testing capability but the health care community wasn't really sure that was so and wanted to err on the side of caution. Also, in many cases it doesn't matter if a patient is positive, they have to be treated as if they are because even if they tested negative, you couldn't be sure they wouldn't go positive tomorrow. So, no benefit by testing, be conservative, don't do it.

The spouse of the Costco clerk above also has to weigh the practical benefit of being tested against the perceived danger of actually catching COVID-19 because you went out to be tested. I don't think many people who aren't very sick will bother to get tested unless they have a particularly vulnerable person in their household. No real benefit and their is some risk.

[Goose]

All the buzz about the policy could encourage people with more mild symptoms to get tested. Maybe there is a spouse of a Costco clerk out there in LA who has mild cold-like symptoms, and this news could encourage them to go out and get tested when otherwise they might not.

I basically agree with all you said. I would add that there was a period of time early on when there was probably adequate testing capability but the health care community wasn't really sure that was so and wanted to err on the side of caution. Also, in many cases it doesn't matter if a patient is positive, they have to be treated as if they are because even if they tested negative, you couldn't be sure they wouldn't go positive tomorrow. So, no benefit by testing, be conservative, don't do it.

The spouse of the Costco clerk above also has to weigh the practical benefit of being tested against the perceived danger of actually catching COVID-19 because you went out to be tested. I don't think many people who aren't very sick will bother to get tested unless they have a particularly vulnerable person in their household. No real benefit and their is some risk.