[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

We ordered them since folks we have come in contact with have become positive.

We need to know if we have it and need to quarantine to avoid infecting others.

By the time you get these in February, it will be a little too late. Publix has plenty at the pharmacies I've been to recently.

[rjguilliams]

Please remember that there is nothing FREE from the government. "You" - "We" pay (usually double) for everything the government does. Also remember that most anything you get for free is worth what you pay for it.

[Byte1]

After thinking it over a bit, and being skeptical about the whole idea, I decided to get my allotment of tests. Why? Because even though my children test before coming to visit, we have them on hand just in case they can't and do wish to test. Also, if my spouse starts to feel ill, we can test to see if she needs medication, being as she is a cancer survivor and has other medical issues. I don't put much stock in these tests, but that is just my personality of not trusting everything someone tells me.
Another reason for getting the tests is that I paid for them via my taxes and I will have them on hand in case someone needs one that does not have one. Personally, I do not believe that I will ever become infected (I've never had the FLU) and even if infected, I doubt I would know it or have any symptoms. I will not use the test kit UNLESS I become really ill, and even then may think twice before using something that may not even be accurate. Sounds contradictory? Many folks are neither anti- or pro but actually in the gray area between in their opinions on this whole thing and how it is being handled.

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by La lamy

I've read the at home tests are not as sensitive as the PCR tests. If you know you've been exposed to Covid or feel sick, and the test comes back negative, I would isolate for at least 5 days, best you can. And no, I'm not a medical professional, so make up your own mind with your best recommendations and/or common sense.

This happened to my son-in-law. He had a clinic appointment for a sinus infection. Took a home test which was negative. Got to the clinic, where they administered both rapid and PCR tests. Rapid test was positive. After a day of moving into the basement and explaining to the three year old that daddy was sick and no one could see him for five days the PCR test results came back, negative. I found the manual for the rapid test machine online. It defaults to positive if there is any anomaly in the sample, or the process.
The PCR test is, apparently the gold standard, the home test is OK, and the Rapid test only reliable if negative.
Nuts!

[bmarasco]

The obvious answer, we as a nation, seem to be avoiding ??
GET HEALTHY .. be healthy and stay healthy !!

Everything good in life will follow from there !!

[msilagy]

First of all taxpayers will pay for this - so free? I ordered 4 also as they are handy to have at home if you need them to check for COVID infections. It's being proactive to order these - however it's up to each person.

[mlmarr]

Originally Posted by rustyp

Willing to trade 4 covid test kits for dozen pro V1 golf balls.

absolutely .. lets trade to keep the over processed ones in tack

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by rustyp

Willing to trade 4 covid test kits for dozen pro V1 golf balls.

Originally Posted by mlmarr

absolutely .. lets trade to keep the over processed ones in tack

There is one caveat to the trade - balls must have been washed in bleach.

[SeaCros]

Did I miss when they ever sent out at home test for the regular flu or the common cold? Seems to be another way to track folks and to continue to strike fear in people by the "positive" numbers rise. I am still looking for the number to be reported of "negative" test results.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by SeaCros

Did I miss when they ever sent out at home test for the regular flu or the common cold? Seems to be another way to track folks and to continue to strike fear in people by the "positive" numbers rise. I am still looking for the number to be reported of "negative" test results.

Not likely to find that. It doesn't fit the agenda

Also, don't remember mask mandates, or vaccine requirements for any previous viruses since polio. But then again, influenza ONLY kills 35-70,000 Americans/year, not 800,000 in 2 years. Must be a numbers game, I suppose

[Jerseygirl08]

Originally Posted by La lamy

I've read the at home tests are not as sensitive as the PCR tests. If you know you've been exposed to Covid or feel sick, and the test comes back negative, I would isolate for at least 5 days, best you can. And no, I'm not a medical professional, so make up your own mind with your best recommendations and/or common sense.

La lamy, my thoughts exactly. Why even mess with those tests? I had covid in June, 2020 and my test was negative. That was before I got the two jabs. A year later, I got the jabs. Now, today, I'm sick again with ALMOST THE SAME SYMPTOMS. The symptoms I have are exactly the same as omicron symptoms. I will not get tested. I will isolate and stay quarantined for five days and wear a mask for five days. I was still wearing a mask in public places and will continue the same. Since I'm a nurse (retired this past Dec 31st - yippee!!) I did not have the luxury of staying home so I consider myself lucky. And, as GOLF said, the taxpayers are paying for those free tests people are ordering - and will likely not even use them. It's all turned into a money making scheme, I don't want to get started on that !!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by La lamy

I've read the at home tests are not as sensitive as the PCR tests. If you know you've been exposed to Covid or feel sick, and the test comes back negative, I would isolate for at least 5 days, best you can. And no, I'm not a medical professional, so make up your own mind with your best recommendations and/or common sense.

That IS good common sense. I would add that, I personally, would quarantine for 10 days. Just because I am retired and need NOT go to work. That recommendation of about 5 days was an arbitrary time limit designed to keep the wheels of the economy chugging along. In SOME cases, 5 days is NOT enough - although it works in MOST cases. Even with tests, I believe that the individual does NOT KNOW for sure if he is recovered enough to go back to work INSIDE around other people.

[Miekies]

And they are not free. The government does not have their own money. They take from the tax payers and we paid for it. Nothing from the government is free.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Miekies

And they are not free. The government does not have their own money. They take from the tax payers and we paid for it. Nothing from the government is free.

“The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.” ― Adrian Rogers

[blueash]

Originally Posted by nn0wheremann

I found the manual for the rapid test machine online. It defaults to positive if there is any anomaly in the sample, or the process.

I am doing my very best to stay up to date on this stuff as people ask me questions about it all the time. I have never heard of any test for any disease or condition that defaults to positive. I frankly would like you to provide the name of the product or better the website of the "manual for the rapid test machine" I strongly believe you are making this up and providing the reader with terribly bad information.
The reason a rapid test is rapid is that it does not require a "machine" any more than a pregnancy test does. You found that manual in your creative imagination, I suspect as it exists no where man. This is why so many people doubt the science and the evidence, because anonymous people on the internet can just post anything.

You can produce a false positive by intentinally not following the directions for the test and deliberately sabotaging it. For example adding adding fruit juice to the sample can destroy the buffer creating a false positive. That is not a test design problem.