The most promising plan I've heard along these lines is detailed in a recent episode of <i>This Week in Virology</i>.[1]<p>We could have this disease under control by the time school starts by giving everyone (or at least everyone in highly affected areas) tests every day.<p>This is possible, practical, and affordable.<p>The technology for fast pregnancy-test style tests for COVID-19 exists right now, and they could cost as little as $1 per test.<p>The reason these tests aren't being used yet is because of the FDA's misguided requirements for extremely high sensitivity for COVID-19 tests. If these requirements could be relaxed to allow lower-sensitivity tests, then these tests could go out on the market... or, better yet, the government could take over and ensure everyone gets tested with these tests every day for $1 a test.<p>Even a more limited plan of testing just all schoolkids every day for $1 a test would be way better than what we've got now.<p>[1] - Starting at about 6'20" in to episode 640: <a href="https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-640/" rel="nofollow">https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-640/</a>
Some AI researchers[0] claim to be able to detect the virus by the sound of your voice via speech signals. They took samples of youtube celebrities who were recording videos at a time they were infected, but just before their diagnosis, as part of their positive-case labeled data.<p>Maybe soon we'll have dogs that can smell Coronavirus too[1]!<p>[0] <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2020/signs-covid-19-may-be-hidden-speech-signals-0708" rel="nofollow">http://news.mit.edu/2020/signs-covid-19-may-be-hidden-speech...</a><p>[1] <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dogs-smell-covid-19-2646105814.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.ecowatch.com/dogs-smell-covid-19-2646105814.html</a>
Testing is great but you can do all the testing in the world, if the population is not compliant and superspreaders in particular simply ignore all health guidelines and don't even show up for tests you've gained nothing.<p>The pandemic already is under control in most places and I'm not sure testing had all that much to do with it. The successful strategy seems to be pretty straight forward. Initial lockdowns if the country is hit badly to curb the disease, then strong compliance with basic health guidelines and regional lockdowns if necessary.<p>Japan has performed about 800k tests <i>in total</i> on a population of ~120 million, which is lower than most other countries by a magnitude and about 50 times less than the US, but has had very few excess deaths.<p>At the end of the day the virus cares about behaviour, not testing.
The article says new tests, is that a test for a new person. Or simply a test in a certain time frame<p>I assume it is the latter, which means the stats can be skwed somewhat. I can't say what degree it would be but I've had 8 tests. Which means I show up in the testing stats 8 times. My situation is somewhat unique, but I'm not alone. Hence the distinction I am curious about.
<a href="https://youtu.be/857B7u_vUBc" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/857B7u_vUBc</a> indian company developed automatic test machine
I would say, testing being the solution is one thing that wasn't pushed in January or even pre C19 that I saw.<p>It wasn't mentioned in "Contagion" for instance.<p>A vaccination or cure was always known as not possible but the media pushed these false hopes.<p>In part I suspect this is the usual medial malpractice of doctors keeping their profession wealthy and keeping everything they can tied up and regulated.<p>I'd be interested to look at HIV and testing in the 80/90s to see whether at home tests were stopped by doctors or technology.