Originally Posted by
Excargodog
ALL current coronavirus tests have a predictive value positive AND a predictive value negative problem.
They were rushed into production and then scaled up extremely quickly. They are pretty much usable only to spot trends in groups, and are much less accurate for individual diagnosis.
True. They have gotten a lot better quite quickly. But, really, what does a test for any virus really do? Whether HIV, Herpes (HSV1, HSV2, Shingles, ChickenPox) a confirmed positive merely contributes to data for public policy and reaffirm to the infected to do what they should have been doing to begin with. I see so many people "wanting the test" because they are "wanting to know" if they have/had it. They want to know if they are part of the club, and/or they want to know if they "really" need to quarantine/isolate as recommended. I'm afraid that false negatives will only embolden those seeking a reprieve. Much like what a clear STD test does...it typically leads to riskier behavior.