I guess it depends whether you want to find the positive cases or not. Certainly helps with protecting the vulnerable if you can test before visiting with grandparents (which is what we’ve been doing while seeing relatives in the U.K. this Christmas). Omicron seems to be mostly a disease of the young here (it’s swept through elementary schools in recent weeks since younger kids are unvaccinated).
There were isolated shortages of rapid tests in the week before Christmas as they doubled the number shipped out each day. But everyone we know has a stack of tests at home and most are testing as a matter of course at least twice per week. It has been harder to get PCR confirmation, but at this stage I think it’s less critical than being able to access rapid tests (especially as you can report rapid test results easily by scanning the bar code on them).
It depends more upon whether those most likely to transmit are bothering to test themselves ( the young may not bother) or take isolating action if they do indeed test positive ( again, quarantine compliance is not that high). Given the prevalence and often asymptomatic nature, it is safe to assume there are substantial numbers of cases untested and transmitting in any crowd of people.
Thanks for the real life experience. The story I read in today’s NYT really made it sound like tests are now getting more difficult to get. Stories of drug stores sold out and no way to get a PCR.
I assume numbers around me are undercounted. We’ve heard from people that one person got sick and was tested, then when the rest of the family got sick they just assumed it was Covid. Unless they have some sort of method for counting them, our numbers are quite low.
But I guess on the plus side the NYT says more than 1/6 in my county have tested positive since the beginning of Covid, so if what’s happening with those we talk with is true elsewhere in the county, perhaps the wave will pass through soon and some sort of herd immunity will happen?
Or do we assume that Omicron reset the starting point? Are there that many reinfections?
Our numbers are super high in our town of 17,000. 13.9% positivity rate. 100 cases last week reported. Every person I personally know with Covid found out via a home test so isn’t included in that number. Impossible to walk in or get an appointment for a rapid test and tests sell out within an hour whenever the local drug stores restock. I’m sure cases are vastly undercounted.
Meanwhile our county executive is advertising that the Houston health department has plenty of free pcr appointments available and begging people to come get a test, setting up new testing sites to lure people in. The supply chain logistics of this pandemic have been irrational. Health dept says they can administer 27k tests per day. I don’t know how that compares with other public health departments nationwide.
A couple of years ago, my son got Influenza A. He was running a fever, but after a couple of days, it spiked to mid-104. I suggested he go to urgent care. He had a secondary bacterial sinus infection.
We’ve become fever phobic, but as you say, context matters.
Wait times, yes. But also can’t even get in to get one. Currently, our D’s doc won’t give her one unless she’s symptomatic. D needs a negative PCR to go back to school. Flight is 1/24 so I’m hoping there’s more availability by then.
Depends on the lab.
Our PCR turnaround is 1 hour, although we tell people it’s 4 hours so employees don’t have to field phone calls 1 hour later from patients anxious for results.
Too many symptomatic right now that need the tests, so asymptomatic do the rapid antigen. If D needs PCR, let the doc know of the requirement and see if they will get you a reservation, around 1/20, when you would probably be wanting one. By then the need will hopefully dissipate.
Needs to be within 72 hours of 1/24 which is a Monday and that seems like it’s going to be rough with the weekend preceding it. The earliest she could do it would be Friday 1/21 but the chance it comes back by 1/23 seems low. Flight is 6:30 am on 1/24. I feel like Colgate is going to have to be flexible on this. I plan on calling them after the holidays and seeing if they are really sticking with this since a lot of kids aren’t not going to be able to give them what they want!
Your insurance probably would pay for some of it, if not all.
I know when I got my test done at a hospital, it was no cost to me but I saw a claim for 125.
