until tested.
Only 330 million of us. And given false positives and negatives, testing each of us twice should be adequate. That's what's being said, and the "test, test, test" statement is both true, unworkable, and political (given the shoddy testing roll-out of the Trump administration).
Then there's what to do about those who refuse to get tested, who live in Podunksville, just outside of Hoople, North South Dakota, Jimmy Bob the homeless guy who's convinced people are out to kill him, and Yitzhak Ahmedovich Shen y Lopez who undocumentedly immigrated here last week and only speaks Soqotri but doesn't want to be sent back.
People hate uncertainty, some more than others. As one health person pointed out, the only reason for testing at this point is to confirm somebody needs to self-quarantine (as opposed to "I strongly suspect"
and with the asymptomatic rate being what it is--and people *not* testing positive for a day or two after they've been exposed and *continuing* to test positive for it up to 10 days after they're better, the massive testing becomes virtue or fear signaling.
Wife insisted a doctor test our kid for flu a couple of years ago. (She repeated it a year later with strep.) The doctor said there was no point--flu-like symptoms, you treat the symptoms. But flu test. When the test came back positive, wife was relieved and asked what they should do. And got exactly the same set of instructions--but somehow seemed more satisfied. (I asked what the doctor would have said if the test came back negative and was told, "Same thing." Waste of medical staff time, our time, and supplies.
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