We could have home-use tests like this—for pennies on the dollar—but we don’t because we have utterly corrupt political leadership having bullshitted eveyone for decades, purely for personal gain.
@tinfoilhat My whole point is that no, you can’t make these. Because it’s illegal to sell them in the US due to laws about medical tests. Decades worth of laws passed by politicians paid by lobbyists to pass laws preventing cheap at-home test kits.
@thomasfuchs the amount of talent and knowledge and resources that exists today in the world are astonishing.
It takes very effective corruption, trickery, lies and fake narratives to hold us back and perpetuate avoidable misery and suffering.
Let us hope (and work) during the next orbit around Sol towards a more empowered world, with more advance warnings and tests against diseases of all kinds.
@bhawthorne@benpocalypse That’s not helpful, because it’s too expensive and time consuming for many people to see a doctor when they feel sick or slightly sick; plus traveling spreads the virus.
Also, the tests are used by many people if they don’t feel sick at all, e.g. before seeing friends or family.
Yes, the tests aren’t extremely accurate; but wide-spread use would tremendously help a lot of people.
@benpocalypse@thomasfuchs Unless you went to the doctor to get a real test, odds are your “not covid” is Covid. Current dominant strains in the US generate many false negatives on the home rapid tests. If you have Covid symptoms, assume you have Covid.
@thomasfuchs Where is this photo from? I'm willing to pay whatever it costs to get some of these - my family has basically been sick straight since thanksgiving with "not covid" but of course we don't know what it is since that's the only test we can get.
@thomasfuchs these may have utility, but they need to be put into the context of each test’s sensitivity and specificity, and what actions are to be taken with the result. Rapid antigen tests have notoriously low sensitivity and the behaviour change that a negative result may have (eg going into work when you can WFH) needs to be understood. You don’t do a test unless you know, beforehand, what you will do with the result.
@PieterPeach Please spare me with this, because right now, in the US, 95%+ of people don’t get any tests whatsoever, never, at all, ever; because it costs too much in time or money to see a doctor or to buy the available rapid tests.
They may get a test when it’s ER-level bad.
A rapid test is way better than no testing.
Cheap availability ($1-$2) of comprehensive rapid test panels would save prevent loss of life and long-lasting disability..
@thomasfuchs this has been an ongoing conversation since the beginning of the pandemic. These kits should be available, but they need to be accompanied by the appropriate advice and systems to make the results actionable. To this day they aren’t. They are merely sold and most people still need education to understand how to use them effectively to protect themselves and those around them.