Post AasZXdakE1W146yn44 by cricketcrocker@spore.social
 (DIR) More posts by cricketcrocker@spore.social
 (DIR) Post #AasZXdakE1W146yn44 by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T15:17:23Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       So, I see a lot of "rapid tests aren't trustworthy" online and...as someone who was recently sick (for the first time since Feb 2020, not covid), this was very alarming to me during the time that I was convinced I had finally caught it.Science is that rapid tests may not be quite as fast to pick up an infection (takes longer to test +), not that they're totally useless.It's dangerous to assume a tool is worthless, simply because it has decreased in efficiency.ETA https://mastodon.social/@Wikisteff/111143636834178551
       
 (DIR) Post #AasZXfqPqjEu3IKKlk by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T15:17:23Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       At $10 a pop, they're not so accessible to start with, and repeated testing even less so.But tldr afaik they detect a protein on the outside of the virus, and one on the inside. The outside one changes a little with each variant, and so may escape detection to some extent. The inside one changes very little, but isn't detectable til there is a higher viral load (aka later on in infection). Ergo, later detection, but still detection.
       
 (DIR) Post #AasZXi17lszen5Lujo by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T15:21:04Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       I realize there are some brands that are more evaded than others.And I'm not meaning to tell folks who have had false negatives that their experiences didn't happen.Just ... it's not some big pharma lie that the tests can still work. They can. But they might work differently--and eventually maybe differently enough that they're no longer an effective early warning system.Afaik we are not at that dire point yet.
       
 (DIR) Post #AasZXqTmJEfR2GouVk by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T15:23:03Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       But personally I do still assume that if I get sick, it's covid.And I constantly mask regardless of social pressure. For myself and for others.And I have enough tests stockpiled that I was able (luxury) to test daily for a week when I was sick, and that's what convinced me that it was actually not covid.Well, that and some symptom divergence.
       
 (DIR) Post #AasZXw0ZkisCBRCfpI by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T16:10:15Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       Please don't respond to teach me biology unless we are mutuals.I will block you.
       
 (DIR) Post #AasZXxyASe8SGY5mLo by cricketcrocker@spore.social
       2023-10-17T17:36:55Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       All of which to say, if you think you might be sick, mask?Honestly mask anyway????Even if you have a negative result, you could still be in the early stage and test + tomorrow.