Do you know anyone that had the covid Delta Variant?

[sguitarist18]

Abbott tests are about $25 a piece cost burden on the Urgent care.

Are you including staff time? The test itself is ~$6

[Dan]

UK accepts rapids.

If vaccinated.

[AsherO]

Germany overall vaccination rate is 56%, so I don't know how much that difference is.

They avoided the wave by vaccine passports, high quality masking, and quarantine compliance. More freedom than the inevitable lockdown that will happen in the Red south.

You think 44% (or whatever the percentage is for eligible adults) of Germans don't want to vaccinate, or just haven't had the chance? Is supply in Europe still an issue?

[yuneeq]

Then again, avromie7 posted that his wife’s positive rapid made them not attend a Simcha 2 days before their (positive) PCRs came back, so there’s that. If people are going to go about life without a positive PCR, and PCRs take 24-48 hours for results, then positive rapids will help somewhat mitigate the effects (especially since they are most contagious at that point).  But yeah I agree I kept hearing “I’m fine, I was negative” only to find out they meant a rapid with despite obvious COVID symptoms.

If I have symptoms, what does it matter if it was negative or positive. So you have a scenario where the rapid is a bit of a help for someone who might not be willing to wait, but in the big picture - you have all the false negatives, and all the people that think COVID tests aren’t accurate because they don’t know the difference between rapid and PCR, the rapids simply aren’t worth it. 

[PlatinumGuy]

You think 44% (or whatever the percentage is for eligible adults) of Germans don't want to vaccinate, or just haven't had the chance? Is supply in Europe still an issue?

I don't think supply is an issue. Would imagine it's simple reluctance. I'm sure there is data one way or the other

If I have symptoms, what does it matter if it was negative or positive. So you have a scenario where the rapid is a bit of a help for someone who might not be willing to wait, but in the big picture - you have all the false negatives, and all the people that think COVID tests aren’t accurate because they don’t know the difference between rapid and PCR, the rapids simply aren’t worth it. 

There are indications those with negative rapids aren't contagious even if PCRs are positive.

[avromie7]

If I have symptoms, what does it matter if it was negative or positive. So you have a scenario where the rapid is a bit of a help for someone who might not be willing to wait, but in the big picture - you have all the false negatives, and all the people that think COVID tests aren’t accurate because they don’t know the difference between rapid and PCR, the rapids simply aren’t worth it.

Because "having symptoms" is a vague term. If you have all the typical COVID symptoms it's one thing, but especially in the first few days the symptoms can easily be assumed to be a simple cold and/or overtired. Taking a COVID test is prudent, but you can't expect people to lock up every time they have the sniffles.

[PlatinumGuy]

The desperation to deny reality that would lead OP to question whether a variant with millions of people infected is real or not is unbelievable.

https://twitter.com/erlichya/status/1426469525239779329

[S209]

There are indications those with negative rapids aren't contagious even if PCRs are positive.

Source? Is this with symptoms?

[Dan]

Because "having symptoms" is a vague term. If you have all the typical COVID symptoms it's one thing, but especially in the first few days the symptoms can easily be assumed to be a simple cold and/or overtired. Taking a COVID test is prudent, but you can't expect people to lock up every time they have the sniffles.

And I know of someone who lost taste/smell, but came to shul because he tested negative on an antigen test

[avromie7]

And I know of someone who lost taste/smell, but came to shul because he tested negative on an antigen test

Don't we have a thread for those people?

That being said, there are people who lose their taste and smell from other mild viruses. My father was convinced he didn't have COVID (was in the early days when everyone was locked down and there were no tests) even though he lost his taste/small. Eventually he tested positive for antibodies.

[yuneeq]

Because "having symptoms" is a vague term. If you have all the typical COVID symptoms it's one thing, but especially in the first few days the symptoms can easily be assumed to be a simple cold and/or overtired. Taking a COVID test is prudent, but you can't expect people to lock up every time they have the sniffles.

I take the rapid and whether it comes out positive or negative I still have literally no clue whether I have COVID or not, all I have is my symptoms. So if I'm cautious I stay under the radar until I get my PCR back and if not I walk around freely unless I get a positive PCR, the rapid is meaningless anyways.

Overall, I'd say the amount of incorrect rapid results tremendously undermined the public faith in testing.

[yuneeq]

There are indications those with negative rapids aren't contagious even if PCRs are positive.

In my case I infected my sibling and his wife, so it ain't true

[Ellen]

Everywhere?
I don't think any country accepts rapids besides for the US.

Greece and Ukraine do

[PlatinumGuy]

In my case I infected my sibling and his wife, so it ain't true

You could've infected them before/after the negative rapid test.

[yuneeq]

You could've infected them before/after the negative rapid test.

Is that the claim - that before/after rapid I was infectious while at the very instant of testing I was no longer infectious?

In my case I infected them before the negative rapid, and the rapid was taken at the same time as the positive PCR. Tests were taken a couple days after my symptoms started.

[PlatinumGuy]

Is that the claim - that before/after rapid I was infectious while at the very instant of testing I was no longer infectious?

In my case I infected them before the negative rapid, and the rapid was taken at the same time as the positive PCR. Tests were taken a couple days after my symptoms started.

We know peak contagiousness is before symptoms.

A negative test only gives you status for the time it was taken and has zero implication about before/after.

There is evidence that when rapids are negative and PCRs are positive, there is less likely to be enough viral load to transmit to others.

[AsherO]

In my case I infected my sibling and his wife, so it ain't true

It’s also possible they infected you. Impossible to be 100% sure with the prevalence of COVID.

[yuneeq]

It’s also possible they infected you. Impossible to be 100% sure with the prevalence of COVID.

I started feeling slight symptoms shortly before I was with them. It wasn't much but I kept track of the slightest symptoms in case it turned into real symptoms so I could backtrack.

[yuneeq]

We know peak contagiousness is before symptoms.

A negative test only gives you status for the time it was taken and has zero implication about before/after.

There is evidence that when rapids are negative and PCRs are positive, there is less likely to be enough viral load to transmit to others.

If no matter when the rapid is taken, it's gonna be negative because I must've been contagiousness before/after, then your whole premise is a farce. If a theory can't be proven false, it can't be proven true either and deserves no discussion.

If peak contagiousness is before symptoms, and rapids are negative when not contagious, hardly anyone you know would ever test positive on a rapid. I'm just not buying it, sounds like complete BS to me.

[PlatinumGuy]

If no matter when the rapid is taken, it's gonna be negative because I must've been contagiousness before/after, then your whole premise is a farce. If a theory can't be proven false, it can't be proven true either and deserves no discussion.

If peak contagiousness is before symptoms, and rapids are negative when not contagious, hardly anyone you know would ever test positive on a rapid. I'm just not buying it, sounds like complete BS to me.

Every test is only indicative of the time it was taken. That is well established.

Peak transmission is before symptom onset, that is also well established.

People can be PCR positive and not contagious, that is well established.

When people are PCT positive and antigen negative, they have lower viral loads, is pretty well established as well.

Which part do you 'think is BS'?

The use case for rapids is to screen people who may be contagious even if they don't present symptoms, such as travellers, people exposed to covid cases, or just screening general population before large gatherings or VIP meetings.