Minepza

What I’m saying is so what? So what if 10,000 people get a false negative? What about the 80%+ of the others that got it right? And didn’t infect their fellow crewmember? Your argument makes no sense, unless you just don’t want to be forced to be tested. That’s totally fine and I can respect that.

Seneca Pilot

Ok, what if you are one of the false positives and have to sit at home without pay for two weeks. And because of your positive, your wife and kids have to do the same thing. And you have to notify the neighbors you had dinner with two nights ago and they have the same. Se how bad this can go, all because you had a test with no symptoms and no exposures to justify it.

Minepza

Then test again! So everyone should roam around infecting others because you’re worried about theories? Have you been tested much? It was said in the Harvard article, the problem is not false positives. If your COVID test comes back positive it’s almost always right. False negatives are more common due to many reasons.

Gordie H

No arguments here...I was hoping my company would follow suit last year but never happened

Gordie H

You wouldn't quarantine someone asymptomatic long term based off one test...particularly a 15 minute test. You would confirm with additional more accurate testing...this isn't really anything new?

If you're arguing that testing doesn't work in general I don't know what to tell you. Go argue with the Taiwanese CDC...they'll tell you testing has been the cornerstone of their success (and success they have had).

Minepza

Right, I should have probably just said this from the beginning and saved a lot of time! If people don’t want to be tested then that’s totally understandable.

Regularguy

Oh grasshopper how you have missed the forest because of the trees.

No the success of the east (including NZ and AU) has not come because of "testing" at all. The success in stopping the spread of this virus (as well as any other BTW) has come from serious and complete lock-down/isolation of anyone suspected of having or contacting someone with COVID.

The results of positive tests and contact with actual COVID infected people results in being essentially jailed or house arrest. The very threat of this causes others to comply and report others who violate the rules.

Don't kid yourselves about the value or practical results of testing, tracing and isolation. It goes against the grain of who the people of the USA are. Yes it's cultural!

galaxy flyer

False negatives are just what you should be worried about. WHO and the CDC said in their 1/20/2021 announcement that PCR test should only be used upon clinical presentation of COVID symptoms. The tests are theater, but you have been sucked in by the show.

Red Forman

Being a small island nation helps tremendously also.

Seneca Pilot

Now we are back to your understanding of large numbers. Yes you are more likely to have a false negative but false positives are still a significant problem. Again if you test 10,000 asymptomatic pilots and one percent are false positive you just sat 100 pilots out for a few days at least. Yes you will have a second test but that will not be at the gate as that would just produce two opposite results from an unreliable test. You will have to have PCR testing and wait for those results for 24 to 48 hours. Most employers will not take the chance and require you to quarantine even after a negative PCR.

From the CDC website:

Not everyone needs to be tested.

Who should get tested

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.​​
• People who have taken part in activities that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 because they cannot socially distance as needed, such as travel, attending large social or mass gatherings, or being in crowded indoor settings.
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, localexternal icon or state health department.

If you do get tested or take an at-home test because you have COVID-19 symptoms or have had a close contact with someone who has it, you should self-quarantine at home pending test results and follow the advice of your healthcare provider or a public health professional.