Read on Twitter
If we in the US are mostly testing symptomatic people, for a viral infection that = frequently asymptomatic, doesn't that suggest that the data based on testing have quite a bit of uncertainty?
Current trends:
testing rates & test positivity, in conjunction whospitalizations
Current trends:
testing rates & test positivity, in conjunction whospitalizations
^ And that's in the context of uneven/inequitable access to testing (mismatch between those most at risk & those w/ best access to testing; esp in a climate where employers want to avoid responsibility for occupational exposures)
(In the U.S., we hit 5000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Thursday)
I'd add: I'm not sure that the metrics (test positivity, hospitalizations, etc) necessarily capture what's happening, if we're not accounting for the fact that
- the people who are most exposed to SARS-CoV-2 may experience inequities in access to testing, healthcare, & the vax
- the people who are most exposed to SARS-CoV-2 may experience inequities in access to testing, healthcare, & the vax
It remains true that the groups with the highest COVID-19 mortality are also groups that have had the poorest access to health-enabling resources (including workplace protections & health insurance) & healthcare
(oh, and lest anyone forgets: hospitalizations are a lagging indicator & they capture the most severe cases. We aren't capturing the more "mild" cases that don't result in hospitalization, but result in premature death from strokes or multi-system damage after "recovery")
Yes- I didn't get into factors affecting hospitalization rates, such as ICU capacity- because I got hungry (dinnertime). But you're right! https://twitter.com/theurbanres/status/1358199002064371712?s=20
(of course, when we talk about say, ICU capacity, we are talking about *staffed* beds, not just # beds in a facility)
