[DoreenMichele]

I think testing mostly matters to prove to people this is real, but tests don't actually stop the disease. They aren't a cure.

I don't know how to get there from here, but I would like to see a great deal more focus on best practices and cultural change. That's how this pandemic will be stopped and prevented from recurring. Tests will only elucidate how bad it is, but aren't actual treatment.

Stop touching your face.

Stop touching everything.

Stop shaking hands. Maybe adopt bowing instead as a respectful greeting.

Wash your hands.

Be more supportive of remote work.

Design more services that help make flexible remote work a good thing for workers. (I like the Textbroker model. I've tried to promote that previously. No one cared or thought it mattered. Now, maybe people will pay attention.)

Light one small candle rather than curse the dark. Focus on promoting solutions. We don't do enough of that.

[DennisP]

Testing helps a lot more than that, because it helps you catch infected people before they spread it further. This was a key factor in China and South Korea getting the disease under control.

[DoreenMichele]

If we have cultural practices in place that more universally reduce or halt the spread of disease, it matters less to know who has it.

Of course, then people will say "we were just lucky" or the threat was never real.

But in terms of actual germ control, I would like to see more focus on shifting the culture to one of higher levels of germ control permanently.

But I don't need convincing. I already know this stuff is serious and makes a difference because of my medical situation.

[masonic]

   it helps you catch infected people

It helps you know that infected people exist, but in a "free" state, that's all. Unless you both require verifiable ID and have the power to quarantine someone against her will, you haven't "caught" anybody.

[mynegation]

I agree with you on almost all points, but testing does help to stop the disease. They are not a cure but an ability to test infected and recovered people en masse would help immensely to (a) isolate contagious people as soon as possible (b) confirm that the virus is cleared and the person can go back to the productive work with at least some assurance of immunity.

[DoreenMichele]

Let me try to put that another way:

Tests are information. I think we have enough information to try to err on the side of "Let's just assume everyone is a danger. Let's just globally reduce our cavalier, casual exposure to germs as a matter of course."

To me, it's crazy to insist we need to keep testing and we need to know who has it to protect people.

Social distancing and good hygiene are effective whether the person has been identified or not. I wish we would just go with that and stop acting like "a return to normal" is the goal and just around the corner for most people, if only we can identify the parties guilty of being infected and Target them.

It kind of doesn't matter. Just stop touching your face, among other things.

[mynegation]

Good idea in theory, not so much in practice, especially over longer periods of time. First, people are fallible and many of them who don’t know if they have it or not, may not take it seriously. Having a positive test (even if asymptomatic right now) would put them in a different mindset. The ability of quickly confirm recovery would put the people in critical roles back to their occupation. Medical professionals, police, truck drivers, water treatment plant workers, utility workers are all going to get sick in droves and it is not going to be pretty.

[DoreenMichele]

not so much in practice, especially over longer periods of time.

Everything I've read suggests that older, densely populated cultures pretty universally have adopted bowing over shaking hands, eat spicier foods, etc.

My belief is that over longer periods of time, cultural change is a much more reliable and effective means to combat disease.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."