This Is Why You Wear a Mask!
Overreliance on testing without masking and distancing is a clearly weak strategy
The White House is dealing with numerous cases of Covid-19. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Trump adviser Hope Hicks have all tested positive for Covid-19. As the cluster continues to grow, it’s increasingly clear that an overreliance on testing and a stubborn refusal to mask up and stay distanced is not the most effective strategy to prevent the spread of the virus.
“This is the perfect demonstration of the fact that there is no one silver bullet [for preventing Covid-19],” says Nahid Bhadelia, MD, MA, medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center. “What always seemed obvious is that the administration’s strategy has been so heavily dependent and reliant on this testing. … No test is infallible.”
While daily testing is certainly a good idea if you have access to it, it’s important to remember that tests can be negative for a couple of reasons. Someone could get a negative test because it’s too early for them to be positive. Even if they are infected, the amount of virus in their blood or fluids may not be high enough to potentially be picked up by a test. There’s also the possibility of false negatives.
