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by john4532452 2086 days ago
Whats the point of testing anyway when there is no vaccine available ?
2 comments

It helps to track the virus and facilitates contact tracing.
A couple possible reasons I can think of:

-If the person gets sicker later, you don't have to wait on another test to know the diagnosis and start treatment.

-Second is from a contact tracing perspective and isolation perspective. If this person is positive, it is that much more important that they limit contact with people.

-Third is if you are positive you can donate your plasma which *may help others (good randomized controlled trials for convalescent plasma are still pending).

-If you are positive you make not need the vaccine later, it also could reduce your risk potentially for being infected later, less stress.

-Also helps population wide to know total number of infected to get an idea of rate of spread, herd immunity, other metrics.