12-17-2020, 12:11 PM
We saw a US Senator and a medical doctor by training take a test in March, then do all kinds of things in public before the test result came back positive. So as a country we had a great example in March, but let this type of failing continue.
However, I would note the USA has a different issue in the mix. You generally only have a pre-existing condition if you KNOW you have a pre-existing condition. For a lot of workers they can work if they are sick and fear they have COVID, but they would not be allowed to work if they KNOW they have COVID. In the USA there are incentives to avoid testing. I am not sure forcing those that take a test to then quarantine/isolate until the results come back is better as some would likely just opt to avoid testing even when they suspect they have COVID. It would be great to get the results back in hours, but that's not how we do it.
FWIW - My elderly mother-in-law had a friend in another part of CA that suspected she might have COVID in July. That person, also elderly, felt awful and was rightfully very worried given her age. So she went to a health center and got a test. They told her she should assume she is positive and avoid contact until the results came back.
Now in some places in the world she would get a ride from the facility back to her home from medical officials, police, or other government types. Not in the USA. So amazingly, she took Uber/Lyft home presumably putting that person at risk. Ultimately she was negative, but illustrates that the USA has a lot of failings when it comes to the incentives, penalties and logistics of testing.
Those countries with the lowest rates definitely do things differently.
A great country would look at best practices around the world and be prepared to implement those things them next time.
MAGNT - "Make America Great Next Time"
However, I would note the USA has a different issue in the mix. You generally only have a pre-existing condition if you KNOW you have a pre-existing condition. For a lot of workers they can work if they are sick and fear they have COVID, but they would not be allowed to work if they KNOW they have COVID. In the USA there are incentives to avoid testing. I am not sure forcing those that take a test to then quarantine/isolate until the results come back is better as some would likely just opt to avoid testing even when they suspect they have COVID. It would be great to get the results back in hours, but that's not how we do it.
FWIW - My elderly mother-in-law had a friend in another part of CA that suspected she might have COVID in July. That person, also elderly, felt awful and was rightfully very worried given her age. So she went to a health center and got a test. They told her she should assume she is positive and avoid contact until the results came back.
Now in some places in the world she would get a ride from the facility back to her home from medical officials, police, or other government types. Not in the USA. So amazingly, she took Uber/Lyft home presumably putting that person at risk. Ultimately she was negative, but illustrates that the USA has a lot of failings when it comes to the incentives, penalties and logistics of testing.
Those countries with the lowest rates definitely do things differently.
A great country would look at best practices around the world and be prepared to implement those things them next time.
MAGNT - "Make America Great Next Time"