Asymptomatic CoVid Tests. Who's Done It?

[ThePenIsMightier]

Who has had an asymptomatic CoVid-19 test?

I have now had 3 and passed with flying colours. Why? I took one prior to a flying trip to a Canadian vacation. Then I was also forced to consent to a test while there. The third was from a pharmacy here prior to a trip to visit high-risk family.
I think it's an important metric to monitor the province's overall testing strategy. Apparently, we're very lucky to have such easy access to these. My friends in BC were blown away that I could just walk in and get one, as that's not an option, next door. We don't want all our testing to be composed of subjects who believe they may be infected. We should want the numbers of "positive cases per test" to be dragged down by regular folks just getting tested because it's super easy and get a more representative sample of the actual population.
I'd encourage more people to get tested. It's easy. Go do it.

[D'z Nutz]

I've been meaning to do it for a while, especially since there's kids in my cohort, but we've pretty much been together nonstop all summer and nobody's shown any signs of illness.

That said, I'm scheduled for my first one tomorrow at 11am. Work sent out an email saying one of the security guards in the office tested positive and while I hadn't been there for a couple weeks, I'm doing it for everyone else's peace of mind. If anyone in our group got sick (especially the kids) and there's the slightest chance it was because of me, it would eat me up inside. Plus I get to skip out of work for a bit haha

[ThePenIsMightier]

I've been meaning to do it for a while, especially since there's kids in my cohort, but we've pretty much been together nonstop all summer and nobody's shown any signs of illness.

That said, I'm scheduled for my first one tomorrow at 11am. Work sent out an email saying one of the security guards in the office tested positive and while I hadn't been there for a couple weeks, I'm doing it for everyone else's peace of mind. If anyone in our group got sick (especially the kids) and there's the slightest chance it was because of me, it would eat me up inside. Plus I get to skip out of work for a bit haha

Good for you!
Are you going to a pharmacy, or a main testing site? It can be stressful to actually consider "holy fuck - what if I'm positive?!" but really, it's adulting. I'm confident I don't have it and if I do, I want to know.

[D'z Nutz]

Good for you!
Are you going to a pharmacy, or a main testing site? It can be stressful to actually consider "holy fuck - what if I'm positive?!" but really, it's adulting. I'm confident I don't have it and if I do, I want to know.

I'm booked at the Bow Trail Walk Up. Is that the main testing site?

[Buster]

Good for you!
Are you going to a pharmacy, or a main testing site? It can be stressful to actually consider "holy fuck - what if I'm positive?!" but really, it's adulting. I'm confident I don't have it and if I do, I want to know.

This isn't AIDS, it's not like it sits around in your body in a transmissible state for months (or even weeks) at at time. If you get a negative result, that may only be good for a day or two, depending on how risky your behaviours were just recently.

Individual tests dont actually tell us that much.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I'm booked at the Bow Trail Walk Up. Is that the main testing site?

I think there are a few. I went to the one on Southport. It was a drive through.

[ThePenIsMightier]

This isn't AIDS, it's not like it sits around in your body in a transmissible state for months (or even weeks) at at time. If you get a negative result, that may only be good for a day or two, depending on how risky your behaviours were just recently.

Individual tests dont actually tell us that much.

LoL, you sound like my bitchy sibling "yeah, but you probably got it on the plane to come here!"
From a personal perspective, it's about eliminating variables. Yes, I still could've got it on the plane; but, I now know I didn't get it from that glory hole or bobbing for apples outside the needle exchange the two weeks earlier. If someone I was near became infected during that time, we'll know it was not me and that I didn't get it, plus, if I get it, we can narrow down my infection date way better.

Number of positives per test is also a useful metric. A really high number indicates that only people who obviously already have CoVid are getting tested and no one else (exaggerating, but yer smrt enough to get it). So, lots of other members of the population might have it, yet no one knows. Lots probably do have it, and we'd benefit from knowing.
This also leads to more accurate numbers of those actually infected which allows better management of the spread. It also gives the public more accurate numbers. Right now we have anti-mask folks going "there's only 613 cases in Calgary - that's fuck all and I wanna go bobbing for apples at a retirement home because mah rites!!" The number is way the fuck higher than 613 and I want to know how much higher along with a better confidence interval in its accuracy so that we can all make more informed decisions.

[jwslam]

I've had 2 friends say they got nasal and one got throat swab...
Nasal sounds like it hurt everyone who did it? One of the friends said she was in pain for an hour after.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I've had 2 friends say they got nasal and one got throat swab...
Nasal sounds like it hurt everyone who did it? One of the friends said she was in pain for an hour after.

The nasal one I had was administered by a doctor due to government being the most efficient providers of ineptitude. Anyway, he said it wasn't the "brain stem version" of the test and I'd say it went in about 1.5 inches. It didn't hurt, but it did make my eyes water for a couple minutes after. A long way from pleasant.

[tirebob]

So does this tell you if you have previously had the vid even if you are not actively infected still or just if you are currently infected?

[sabad66]

Had my son and myself tested at Southport on Tuesday. Son's negative callback came back about 40 hours later but i'm still waiting for mine. No idea how that makes sense but whatever.


So does this tell you if you have previously had the vid even if you are not actively infected still or just if you are currently infected?

Just currently. I don't think we have antibody tests available in Alberta yet.

[ThePenIsMightier]

Had my son and myself tested at Southport on Tuesday. Son's negative callback came back about 40 hours later but i'm still waiting for mine. No idea how that makes sense but whatever....

The pharmacy one I did was slow as balls and it's the pharmacist who calls you back, not the robot. It took from Tuesday evening until Saturday afternoon!

[spikerS]

for me, personally, I am not going to bother with an asymptomatic test. Seems like a big waste of time and resources to me, and I see no benefit to doing it. Now, if I was showing symptoms I would do the test, or if the test was serology in nature. Otherwise, why bother unless you have been in contact with someone who is positive, and for me, my cicle of contact is pretty limited in that I rarely see anyone outside of my household. But that's just me.

[riander5]

LoL, you sound like my bitchy sibling "yeah, but you probably got it on the plane to come here!"
From a personal perspective, it's about eliminating variables. Yes, I still could've got it on the plane; but, I now know I didn't get it from that glory hole or bobbing for apples outside the needle exchange the two weeks earlier. If someone I was near became infected during that time, we'll know it was not me and that I didn't get it, plus, if I get it, we can narrow down my infection date way better.

Number of positives per test is also a useful metric. A really high number indicates that only people who obviously already have CoVid are getting tested and no one else (exaggerating, but yer smrt enough to get it). So, lots of other members of the population might have it, yet no one knows. Lots probably do have it, and we'd benefit from knowing.
This also leads to more accurate numbers of those actually infected which allows better management of the spread. It also gives the public more accurate numbers. Right now we have anti-mask folks going "there's only 613 cases in Calgary - that's fuck all and I wanna go bobbing for apples at a retirement home because mah rites!!" The number is way the fuck higher than 613 and I want to know how much higher along with a better confidence interval in its accuracy so that we can all make more informed decisions.

You sound like the 20 year old virtue signalers on social media - 'Don't you care about grandma' 'Stay in and save a life'

Every time you go outside you could potentially contract it. If you're visiting family members that might die from it... guess you better get tested and isolate until the minute you see them.

Also... I love you wear your negative test results as a badge of honor :rofl:

[arcticcat522]

I got one at a pharmacy on Monday. Traveling today and need to have a negative test to visit a grandparent in an old age home. Hop to get results before end of day. ThePenIsMighteryou got a call on the weekend with results? I need results prior to Sunday for it to be worthwhile for me.

[Buster]

LoL, you sound like my bitchy sibling "yeah, but you probably got it on the plane to come here!"
From a personal perspective, it's about eliminating variables. Yes, I still could've got it on the plane; but, I now know I didn't get it from that glory hole or bobbing for apples outside the needle exchange the two weeks earlier. If someone I was near became infected during that time, we'll know it was not me and that I didn't get it, plus, if I get it, we can narrow down my infection date way better.

Number of positives per test is also a useful metric. A really high number indicates that only people who obviously already have CoVid are getting tested and no one else (exaggerating, but yer smrt enough to get it). So, lots of other members of the population might have it, yet no one knows. Lots probably do have it, and we'd benefit from knowing.
This also leads to more accurate numbers of those actually infected which allows better management of the spread. It also gives the public more accurate numbers. Right now we have anti-mask folks going "there's only 613 cases in Calgary - that's fuck all and I wanna go bobbing for apples at a retirement home because mah rites!!" The number is way the fuck higher than 613 and I want to know how much higher along with a better confidence interval in its accuracy so that we can all make more informed decisions.

Yeah, for sure I agree. I said that individual tests don't tell us as much - but looking at the population level data is important. You're right in encouraging people to go.

- - - Updated - - -


for me, personally, I am not going to bother with an asymptomatic test. Seems like a big waste of time and resources to me, and I see no benefit to doing it. Now, if I was showing symptoms I would do the test, or if the test was serology in nature. Otherwise, why bother unless you have been in contact with someone who is positive, and for me, my cicle of contact is pretty limited in that I rarely see anyone outside of my household. But that's just me.

Finding the asymptomatic spreaders is going to be the key to us getting out of this, until there is a vaccine.

[ThePenIsMightier]

You sound like the 20 year old virtue signalers on social media - 'Don't you care about grandma' 'Stay in and save a life'

Every time you go outside you could potentially contract it. If you're visiting family members that might die from it... guess you better get tested and isolate until the minute you see them.

Also... I love you wear your negative test results as a badge of honor :rofl:

I guess it's hard when Reading >> You.
There's just nothing in there where I've said any of what you've mentioned in words or tone. Please take a long drive to enjoy some long weekend freedom shopping in Airdrie without a mask.

- - - Updated - - -


I got one at a pharmacy on Monday. Traveling today and need to have a negative test to visit a grandparent in an old age home. Hop to get results before end of day. ThePenIsMighteryou got a call on the weekend with results? I need results prior to Sunday for it to be worthwhile for me.

Yes, the pharmacist will call you if they are open when they get the results.

[ThePenIsMightier]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/deena-hinshaw-alberta-covid-19-coronavirus-1.5728099

Make testing widely and easily available to everyone.
Cancel it.

[ExtraSlow]

What was the uptake anyway? I could never think of a reason why an individual would want to do the asymptomatic testing. It appeared to have no individual benefit.

[mr2mike]

What was the uptake anyway? I could never think of a reason why an individual would want to do the asymptomatic testing. It appeared to have no individual benefit.

I'm required. Got an upcoming surgery and I'm to be tested prior to it.
(A reduction if you must know. Anterior Pelvic Tilt pain is getting too much)

[ExtraSlow]

Okay, I get that. I think certain professions needed it too, like health care workers.

[Tik-Tok]

What was the uptake anyway? I could never think of a reason why an individual would want to do the asymptomatic testing. It appeared to have no individual benefit.

How else am I going to be allowed into Hawaii?

[ThePenIsMightier]

What was the uptake anyway? I could never think of a reason why an individual would want to do the asymptomatic testing. It appeared to have no individual benefit.

Good for helping paranoia of one was worried they had the dreaded asymptomatic CoVid.
Useful for eliminating variables before visiting a higher risk person.

[killramos]

I think appeasing hypochondriacs is a poor use of money.

How does the drumbeat of the covid lecturers go again? Just Stay Home?

[arcticcat522]

Some may have been getting symptomatic tests if the had a minor symptom, but didn't want to isolate to wait for results.

On another note, my son had his 1 year immunisation shots and a common side effect is fever. He had a fever, and needed to isolate for 10 days. No Daycare for 10 days for that BS. Luckily our Dr. Realized this and gave us a note.

[The_Rural_Juror]

That's wiggity wiggity wiggity wack.

94173

[killramos]

Are those midgets or were clothes really that bad then?

[jutes]

Good for helping paranoia

How much do these tests cost? Don't think paranoia is a valid reason to get tested, especially now with flu and cold season coming up. Every sniffle and sneeze will result in massive line-ups at testing centers and lab overload, causing delays for results. This virus isn't going to kill you like the media keeps parroting, you are better off sitting at home anyway instead of waiting in line for hours.

[Xtrema]

How much do these tests cost? Don't think paranoia is a valid reason to get tested, especially now with flu and cold season coming up. Every sniffle and sneeze will result in massive line-ups at testing centers and lab overload, causing delays for results. This virus isn't going to kill you like the media keeps parroting, you are better off sitting at home anyway instead of waiting in line for hours.

They are still $100-$200 a shot. So with 7/10000 positive, (also the number doesn't reveal repeat customers) and probably with a better understanding, money is probably better spend on symptomatic tests.

[pheoxs]

They are still $100-$200 a shot. So with 7/10000 positive, (also the number doesn't reveal repeat customers) and probably with a better understanding, money is probably better spend on symptomatic tests.

Pretty sure its not that much, I swear one article said ~30$ for Alberta. (I think the US is much higher because markups yo)

[killramos]

Even if it’s 5 dollars it’s not a good use of money in agreggate.

[schurchill39]

My wife and I got asymptomatic testing done before visiting her 95 year old grandma because although we would likely be fine dealing with the virus (or could have been part of the population without symptoms) her grandma most definitely would die. I thought it was a great program and gave them a ton of extra data which drove making the decision to shifting away from testing anyone to testing the at risk so I have no problem with this change. I think they said they did 230,000 tests which is a great data set.

Everyone likes to ignore the fact that this is an evolving situation where every single day were are learning more and more about the virus; recommendations are going to constantly evolve. Saying "oh you wanted everyone tested now you dont? Make up your mind" or "first you said masks didn't do anything now they do do something? Which one is it?" is completely ignoring the process of information discovery. There has never been more data collected and more research done on a global scale for anything like there has been for COVID. We need to stop acting surprised and quit getting so outraged when new information drives new decisions that sometimes may seem contradictory to previous recommendations that were put in place with the best information available at that time.

We can all agree that the situation we are in sucks dick and the overarching advice of "if you don't feel good stay home" is still just as important as ever. But this notion of testing being a bad idea in what ever capacity deemed necessary at the time is silly. More testing = more information = a better understanding of the virus = better decisions that can be made about how we can learn to live with it, or how to effectively treat it.

[ThePenIsMightier]

My wife and I got asymptomatic testing done before visiting her 95 year old grandma because although we would likely be fine dealing with the virus (or could have been part of the population without symptoms) her grandma most definitely would die. I thought it was a great program and gave them a ton of extra data which drove making the decision to shifting away from testing anyone to testing the at risk so I have no problem with this change. I think they said they did 230,000 tests which is a great data set.

Everyone likes to ignore the fact that this is an evolving situation where every single day were are learning more and more about the virus; recommendations are going to constantly evolve. Saying "oh you wanted everyone tested now you dont? Make up your mind" or "first you said masks didn't do anything now they do do something? Which one is it?" is completely ignoring the process of information discovery. There has never been more data collected and more research done on a global scale for anything like there has been for COVID. We need to stop acting surprised and quit getting so outraged when new information drives new decisions that sometimes may seem contradictory to previous recommendations that were put in place with the best information available at that time.

We can all agree that the situation we are in sucks dick and the overarching advice of "if you don't feel good stay home" is still just as important as ever. But this notion of testing being a bad idea in what ever capacity deemed necessary at the time is silly. More testing = more information = a better understanding of the virus = better decisions that can be made about how we can learn to live with it, or how to effectively treat it.

^This!

I'm frustrated (now I'm being that guy) that they just finished rolling out pharmacy testing to make it easier than ever and now essentially cancelling. They didn't realize regular flu season was coming?? Their rationale is fine, but geez!

[Masked Bandit]

My wife and I got asymptomatic testing done before visiting her 95 year old grandma because although we would likely be fine dealing with the virus (or could have been part of the population without symptoms) her grandma most definitely would die. I thought it was a great program and gave them a ton of extra data which drove making the decision to shifting away from testing anyone to testing the at risk so I have no problem with this change. I think they said they did 230,000 tests which is a great data set.

Everyone likes to ignore the fact that this is an evolving situation where every single day were are learning more and more about the virus; recommendations are going to constantly evolve. Saying "oh you wanted everyone tested now you dont? Make up your mind" or "first you said masks didn't do anything now they do do something? Which one is it?" is completely ignoring the process of information discovery. There has never been more data collected and more research done on a global scale for anything like there has been for COVID. We need to stop acting surprised and quit getting so outraged when new information drives new decisions that sometimes may seem contradictory to previous recommendations that were put in place with the best information available at that time.

We can all agree that the situation we are in sucks dick and the overarching advice of "if you don't feel good stay home" is still just as important as ever. But this notion of testing being a bad idea in what ever capacity deemed necessary at the time is silly. More testing = more information = a better understanding of the virus = better decisions that can be made about how we can learn to live with it, or how to effectively treat it.

We'll have none of your logic and common sense around here good Sir!

[Xtrema]

My wife and I got asymptomatic testing done before visiting her 95 year old grandma because although we would likely be fine dealing with the virus (or could have been part of the population without symptoms) her grandma most definitely would die. I thought it was a great program and gave them a ton of extra data which drove making the decision to shifting away from testing anyone to testing the at risk so I have no problem with this change. I think they said they did 230,000 tests which is a great data set.

Everyone likes to ignore the fact that this is an evolving situation where every single day were are learning more and more about the virus; recommendations are going to constantly evolve. Saying "oh you wanted everyone tested now you dont? Make up your mind" or "first you said masks didn't do anything now they do do something? Which one is it?" is completely ignoring the process of information discovery. There has never been more data collected and more research done on a global scale for anything like there has been for COVID. We need to stop acting surprised and quit getting so outraged when new information drives new decisions that sometimes may seem contradictory to previous recommendations that were put in place with the best information available at that time.

We can all agree that the situation we are in sucks dick and the overarching advice of "if you don't feel good stay home" is still just as important as ever. But this notion of testing being a bad idea in what ever capacity deemed necessary at the time is silly. More testing = more information = a better understanding of the virus = better decisions that can be made about how we can learn to live with it, or how to effectively treat it.

Fog of the future as explained by CGP Grey


https://youtu.be/SVmEXdGqO-s

[sexualbanana]

I had one done awhile back when someone at my friend's kid's birthday party tested positive. The nerve-wracking part is the consideration of who you have to tell if you test positive, because you don't want to be the guy that spread it to the people in your gym or office.

[Tik-Tok]

. The nerve-wracking part is the consideration of who you have to tell if you test positive, because you don't want to be the guy that spread it to the people in your gym or office.

Like a STI...

[riander5]

Like a STI...

Without the fun

[max_boost]

I had one done awhile back when someone at my friend's kid's birthday party tested positive. The nerve-wracking part is the consideration of who you have to tell if you test positive, because you don't want to be the guy that spread it to the people in your gym or office.
Shaggy - wazn me

[ThePenIsMightier]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/deena-hinshaw-alberta-covid-19-coronavirus-1.5728099

Make testing widely and easily available to everyone.
Cancel it.

And now Ontario is just starting pharmacy testing to alleviate the burden on their regular testing centers.
https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/covid-19-testing-in-ontario-pharmacies-begins-today-many-not-eligible-1.5119767

We are 10 countries loosely connected to a maple leaf during CoVid.