If 7500 people land in Sydney tomorrow (I think that’s the real number about to enter mandatory quarantine) even in the best case scenario using one machine without considering preparation time it will take around 1875 hours to process everyone. Around 18 hours for ten machines running, even then, that’s without prep time.
That’s a pretty long customs line.
To add to that, at a accuracy rate of 99% there will be about 75 people who will go through with the wrong diagnosis unless retests are done, which will add extra time. I really don’t see this working out at that scale.
You’d really need a sub 60 second test for this to scale.
Not sure, if you are following the news really. If there will be no possibility to check 7500, then 7500 will not be allowed. It's easy as that. Nobody will scale tests to a number of arrivals, its number of arrivals which will be scaled down. And possibility to test quickly may allow thin stream of visitors, and/or shorter quarantine terms for them.
Depending on how many people are waiting with you and how many machines they have running in parallel, it may still take two weeks for you to be cleared.
Better than nothing, but I wouldn't get too excited yet.
It’s just not what these machines are meant for clearly. The headline is catchy, but these are clearly not meant for processing huge volumes. That’s what a big lab is for. They can process huge amounts of samples in parallel.
These are for on the spot, emergency or very urgent, situations where particular patients care decisions will be determined by a rapid result.
That’s a pretty long customs line.
To add to that, at a accuracy rate of 99% there will be about 75 people who will go through with the wrong diagnosis unless retests are done, which will add extra time. I really don’t see this working out at that scale.
You’d really need a sub 60 second test for this to scale.