Nov 2, 2020

low testing numbers

A number of statements today by members of the government, or functionaries of the government, seem to be expressing some dismay at the significant decline in the number of Corona tests being performed daily, while at the same time expressing pleasure at the continued decline in the numbers of infected and the drop of many cities, especially Haredi cities, out of the red category towards and even into green territory.

The comments seem to express surprise at the low testing numbers, wondering why people are not getting tested when it has been made so easy - no need for a doctors referral any longer (for the most part), easy walk in testing centers with no appointment necessary, etc.

I don't know how to convince people to get tested, but I am not surprised that people are not bothering. As I have said before, people see no benefit to getting tested. Why should I bother go to get tested? I have to be the freier and get tested and go into quarantine - for what? 

They need to find a way to convince the people that getting tested is for the greater good, to find the trends of the way the virus spreads. Just making it relatively easy isn't going to do it, when people know they need to go into quarantine or risk getting their kids sent home form school or risk turning the city red if there are many positives, and end up with another lockdown. 

The first time around, people were very much into it, though getting tested then was not so simple. The second time around frustrated many people and the public seems to have had enough and don't want to know from it any longer, even though they made it easy to get tested. In advance of the third time around they need to figure out how to help people realize the importance of getting tested and motivate them to actually go get tested.. 


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2 comments:

  1. Michael SedleyNovember 02, 2020 7:24 PM

    We should look at the initiative in Slovakia, where they had a plan to test the entire population (about 5 million people) within 2 days, and then again a week later.
    Although they couldn't make it compulsory to test, public facilities were open only open to people who had tested, so pretty much everyone decided to test instead of go back to lockdown.

    The logistics must have been enormous, how do you get enough tests, lab facilities, and medical professionals to administer millions of tests a day - but if it works and helps to reduce the virus, the costs is a fraction of the cost of a another lockdown.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/01/half-slovakia-population-covid-tested-covid-one-day

    ReplyDelete
  2. NachumNovember 03, 2020 2:23 AM

    "Although they couldn't make it compulsory to test, public facilities were open only open to people who had tested"

    So they could, essentially.

    ReplyDelete