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Would you have gone for a Covid-19 test in this true situation?
Last Sunday (1/10), I went for a mountain bike ride with four friends (A, B, C, and D). All of us are between mid-30s and early 50s. The ride lasted about an hour. At no time were we inside, but there were an additional few minutes of standing around talking while we unloaded bikes, several times when we all stopped and chatted at several parts of the trail, and about 20 minutes at the end of the ride when we sat on well-spaced chairs in the side yard and had a beer.
On Monday, A informed us that he had developed congestion, fatigue, and a slight fever, and was going for a Covid test.
On Wednesday, he reported that his test was negative.
On Thursday, B and C both developed symptoms, got a rapid test, and were positive.
A assumed that they must have gotten it from him, so he went for another test. It was again negative.
It's now Monday, 8 days after the exposure. D and I have had no symptoms.
Without saying whether the two of us got tested, I'm interested in knowing whether you would have gotten a test or not, and at what point--and why.
Would you have gone for a Covid-19 test in this true situation?
Last Sunday (1/10), I went for a mountain bike ride with four friends (A, B, C, and D). All of us are between mid-30s and early 50s. The ride lasted about an hour. At no time were we inside, but there were an additional few minutes of standing around talking while we unloaded bikes, several times when we all stopped and chatted at several parts of the trail, and about 20 minutes at the end of the ride when we sat on well-spaced chairs in the side yard and had a beer.
On Monday, A informed us that he had developed congestion, fatigue, and a slight fever, and was going for a Covid test.
On Wednesday, he reported that his test was negative.
On Thursday, B and C both developed symptoms, got a rapid test, and were positive.
A assumed that they must have gotten it from him, so he went for another test. It was again negative.
It's now Monday, 8 days after the exposure. D and I have had no symptoms.
Without saying whether the two of us got tested, I'm interested in knowing whether you would have gotten a test or not, and at what point--and why.
I probably would not have gotten tested, unless I developed symptoms. I don't think they are even recommending testing for asymptomatic individuals exposed to others with the virus, at this point.
The test has a very high false positive rate. But it can also give a false negative. I know somebody who caught COVID from somebody who tested negative but later tested positive.
About a year ago my wife was very sick and we went to an urgent care clinic and they tested her for influenza. It was negative. They sent her home with some cough syrup but she kept getting sicker so I took her to the ER. They gave her an influenza test and we explained she already had one and it was negative. The doctor said that they are so inaccurate the results border on being meaningless. So I asked, then why are you giving her the test? He said it was "standard procedure". Honestly I think it was just something they could bill the insurance company for. She had pneumonia, but based on what the doctor said we'll never know if it was caused by influenza.
If you have no symptoms, why would you get tested? What is truly the point?
If you start to feel sick, then just do what you normally do when you start to feel sick, whether self care or going to urgent care/doctor.
It makes little difference to test as long as you are appropriately quarantining - which is standard after meaningful exposure to a person known to have have COVID. You can stop quarantining after 14 days - it's irrelevant whether you have symptoms or not as before the 14 days because you are a carrier if you have it...but even if you WERE positive, you can't transmit it after 14 days.
The key is NOT whether you have symptoms (though if you get them that's a good indicator you have it and can transmit it!) but whether you HAVE it, symptoms or not. Tests are not 100% accurate but are MORE accurate when the viral load has had time to increase and become more detectable. So you isolate regardless, and then after 5-7 days you can get tested if you want. If you test negative I suppose you can stop quarantining but still socially distance as normally recommended.
Have to get one before every doctor's visit. No big deal!
Like vaccinations, I don't understand everyone's reluctance
You don't need to understand other people's choices. Just stop yelling at them for being different from you.
I don't understand why people are running to get a non approved, rushed drug that has shown to be dangerous with side effects. Such that California distribution has been halted and it's NOW being investigated by the FDA and CDC. Exhibit A as to why I do NOT want it.
But you don't see me screeching and yelling at people. You make YOUR decision. I'll make mine.
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