COVID-19 - On the Ground

[KUTradition]

it’s called ignorance

[Qusdahl]

Supple that teat.

[PhDhawk]

Spicket sounds like a racial slur.

And considering the source...

[Deleted User 863]

Ok, this is the second time in a week (and in my life) that I have heard someone say/type spicket instead of spigot. Is this some kind of regional thing or closer to "pre-madonna," "all intensive purposes," bone apple tea" thing?

All intensive purposes always makes me LOL in my head when i see/hear it.

[ousdahl]

1 million.

[ousdahl]

[KUTradition]

and some people wonder why numbers aren’t higher

smells trumpy

[MICHHAWK]

uncle joe got them all hooked on the teet. it's gonna be a mutherphucquer for the next guy to ween them off.

[KUTradition]

who is “them”?

[DrPepper]

Hopefully people have health insurance, screened with a cheap/free pregnancy-type covid test, and are taking other appropriate precautions. There is support available for all of the above for those who will accept it. What am I missing?

[ousdahl]

Over 30 million Americans aren’t insured.

I’ll go out on a limb and guess they also aren’t the types of folks in a position to be able to fork over $125 a pop every time they should get tested. Maybe they can afford if they keep going into work rather than take the appropriate precautions.

Just generally it seems like quite the obstacles to, you know, get tested. It’d be nice if Merica took better care of our own. The support available pales in comparison, and affordability, to what folks around the world get.

[KUTradition]

there are cheaper, over-the-counter antigen tests available (if you can find them), but from what i’ve read it’s generally recommended to get a seconds PCR-based test if your antigen test comes up positive

the antigen tests seem pretty sketchy

you can also get two (i think) free antigen tests via the feds and usps

[ousdahl]

This go here?

[MICHHAWK]

whatever uncle joe is gonna get done, he better get it done before november.

i've been putting off a trip to alaska. if he can push through free trips to alaska for everybody, he's got my vote.

[KUTradition]

Alaska in november?

[Mjl]

Over 30 million Americans aren’t insured.

I’ll go out on a limb and guess they also aren’t the types of folks in a position to be able to fork over $125 a pop every time they should get tested. Maybe they can afford if they keep going into work rather than take the appropriate precautions.

Just generally it seems like quite the obstacles to, you know, get tested. It’d be nice if Merica took better care of our own. The support available pales in comparison, and affordability, to what folks around the world get.

The government literally mailed 8 free tests to everyone who asked. They provided free vaccinations. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're vaccinated, the current dominant strains are no worse than the flu.

So the government provided protection and free testing. What are you complaining about?

[CrimsonNBlue]

there are cheaper, over-the-counter antigen tests available (if you can find them), but from what i’ve read it’s generally recommended to get a seconds PCR-based test if your antigen test comes up positive

the antigen tests seem pretty sketchy

you can also get two (i think) free antigen tests via the feds and usps

There's nothing sketchy about antigen. They play an important role in living through COVID becoming an endemic and making sure we can safely begin a new normal. If you pop a positive antigen, you know you have COVID and should not go to work or out. They're also widely available and either covered or subsidized. If you test negative from antigen but still suspect you have it, then go get your PCR from CVS.

They're are also downsides to PCR. PCR is so sensitive that you can test positive well after you have no symptoms from COVID and are not contagious. That's way too cautious for a functioning society.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Over 30 million Americans aren’t insured.

I’ll go out on a limb and guess they also aren’t the types of folks in a position to be able to fork over $125 a pop every time they should get tested. Maybe they can afford if they keep going into work rather than take the appropriate precautions.

Just generally it seems like quite the obstacles to, you know, get tested. It’d be nice if Merica took better care of our own. The support available pales in comparison, and affordability, to what folks around the world get.

The government literally mailed 8 free tests to everyone who asked. They provided free vaccinations. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're vaccinated, the current dominant strains are no worse than the flu.

So the government provided protection and free testing. What are you complaining about?

All of this. The US is at a waaay better spot with this stuff compared to 2020. Not saying it's perfect, but still.

Ous, the twitter replies, et al. are also operating under the assumption that Lauren Goldenberg isn't incompetent as hell and can't get a free antigen and/or PCR at a different place on her same block.

I was in 4 foreign countries on 3 different continents in 2021. Spent close to a grand on COVID tests. The US did not have the best or cheapest system, but the current system is certainly not the most expensive.

[KUTradition]

there are cheaper, over-the-counter antigen tests available (if you can find them), but from what i’ve read it’s generally recommended to get a seconds PCR-based test if your antigen test comes up positive

the antigen tests seem pretty sketchy

you can also get two (i think) free antigen tests via the feds and usps

There's nothing sketchy about antigen. They play an important role in living through COVID becoming an endemic and making sure we can safely begin a new normal. If you pop a positive antigen, you know you have COVID and should not go to work or out. They're also widely available and either covered or subsidized. If you test negative from antigen but still suspect you have it, then go get your PCR from CVS.

They're are also downsides to PCR. PCR is so sensitive that you can test positive well after you have no symptoms from COVID and are not contagious. That's way too cautious for a functioning society.

has something changed?

i was under the impression that there was a decent percentage of false-positives from the antigen tests, and that it was recommended to have a positive result validated by a PCR test

maybe “sketchy” was too strong a descriptor…

[CrimsonNBlue]

there are cheaper, over-the-counter antigen tests available (if you can find them), but from what i’ve read it’s generally recommended to get a seconds PCR-based test if your antigen test comes up positive

the antigen tests seem pretty sketchy

you can also get two (i think) free antigen tests via the feds and usps

There's nothing sketchy about antigen. They play an important role in living through COVID becoming an endemic and making sure we can safely begin a new normal. If you pop a positive antigen, you know you have COVID and should not go to work or out. They're also widely available and either covered or subsidized. If you test negative from antigen but still suspect you have it, then go get your PCR from CVS.

They're are also downsides to PCR. PCR is so sensitive that you can test positive well after you have no symptoms from COVID and are not contagious. That's way too cautious for a functioning society.

has something changed?

i was under the impression that there was a decent percentage of false-positives from the antigen tests, and that it was recommended to have a positive result validated by a PCR test

maybe “sketchy” was too strong a descriptor…

Just one study, but the false positive is .05% over almost a million tests. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/a ... workplaces.

The risk with antigen is false negative, which is much higher, but we have the backup of PCR for that scenario.

The good thing about antigen is getting that "yes" answer within 10 minutes before going into the office.