20 Comments
Mar 26, 2020Liked by Matthew Smith

You are making the assumption that there is a valid and accurate test easily available. How many false negatives do you get? How many false positives do you get? What are the ramifications of that? Which lab or labs are actually making the determination? How trust worthy are they? There are still many unanswered questions as to the origin of this thing. It has not been totally established that it was just something that came about naturally. Is there a lot more to this that we need to know?

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Mar 26, 2020Liked by Matthew Smith

We need a national reopen America plan with clear and specific milestones for getting our country back to work. It’s crucial. In my mind we should be back to work and open for business no later than April 30. To do that reasonably we need universal testing NOW. No effort should be spared to get testing happening and done. If the FDA is in the way moved them the heck out of the way. Same for any other problem. Solve it. We can’t get open and back to work too soon. The urgency cannot be overstated.

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Mar 26, 2020Liked by Matthew Smith

I agree with this, with an addition. Make nasal swab testing much more readily available to identify those with active infection (with or without symptoms), and for all who test negative to that (with or without symptoms), get them serological testing to see if they've been exposed but were asymptomatic at the time of infection and now have immunity, or are the still-at-risk-of infection group. The last group (no active infection, no antibodies) are the ones that should be isolating (for their own protection) more than anyone else... Those with active infection should be isolating to protect others. Those with antibodies (and immunity) are able to go back to work.

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Mar 25, 2020Liked by Matthew Smith

If testing is so crucial. why has South Korea been able to beat the virus with only 300,000 tests--less than 1% of their population? Your main idea is right--need to have healthy or non-symptomatic people go back to work and keep symptomatic or vulnerable people isolated. But we can't wait until we have 300 million people tested--how many times each to be sure? Cuomo is well intentioned but what he is missing, is a lot if not most of those dying would likely have died anywhay from flu or resp diseases--the stats show MOST deaths are among very old WITH complications.

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Mar 25, 2020Liked by Matthew Smith

It’s a good idea. I think they would have to test everyone in the country in one week. Everyone who was positive would have to be isolated, if they needed treatment, be treated. In one month, everyone would have to be tested again in one week to pick up those who were missed the first time. Everyone entering the country would be tested and whether they were positive or negative, be quarantined for two weeks, then tested again. No one is home free until they have tested negative twice.

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Its not that hard have shelter in place for 60 and older, let the virus roll and people get immunity otherwise. School children can stay home to keep kids safe until the worst is over. everyone e lse back to work Ramp up testing till we have enough so everyone that wants one can get one get busy and get more ventilators.

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Interesting idea.

The question is: aren't these at home test kits just for single use? So what if everybody in the world got tested today, what does that say about the infection rate tomorrow?

Do you think this might lead to a false sense of security? Similar to people who get checked for STDs once a year and say "it's OK, I'm clean"?

If you want to leverage Amazons logistical power: how about Amazon teams up with practically everybody with a truck to establish a nationwide food delivery service, so nobody needs to leave the house to get groceries, pharmaceuticals etc.

This would allow for a complete shutdown where people won't even need to leave the house anymore. At all. Workers in power plants could isolate themselves in their work facilities for a couple of weeks, the same for doctors and other medical personell.

I think breaking the chain of infections should be the highest priority. What do you think?

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