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Comment by rhizome | Hacker News Reader

Tests are still scarce.

Maybe but it’s all relative. Even a little less scarcity can change those numbers in significant ways.

I can't figure out what you mean, can I go someplace to get tested and put my mind at ease that I'm not about to die or kill my familymembers? That's the only "relative" that matters here.

Are they scarce everywhere? I was under the impression that LA county, at least, could test everyone that was symptomatic.

No, they have been available to only “seniors and high risk individuals”.

Literally just today Mayor Garcetti announced testing for everyone is available.

That's great for LA county but there are 320 million of us who don't live there. That is: should they be scarce anywhere?

Remember, this is the USA.

This whole thread is about California's roadmap. LA County is something like 25% of the state. Why stop at the USA? With people moving between places, outbreaks anywhere will matter until there's a reasonable vaccine/treatment.

Maybe or may not be true.

I just got an email from local urgent care that they have the fast test equipment that can offer a result within 15 minutes if you are negative.

The situation is changing quickly

My friend in SF was told he wasn't severe enough to get tested a few weeks ago, but he's convinced he had it.

Assuming that's the Abbott 15 minute test, there's only going to be 50,000 of those a day for the near future (and it seems less than that in the immediate future).

That's a big chunk on top of current testing, but probably not enough to make it easy to move forward with a testing based strategy.

And the stories I've read say their accuracy is questionable.

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