
How does Italy test for Covid-19? [video] - vanilla-almond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brq0NLN7uG0
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lbeltrame
A major problem with testing in Italy is when one is positive and then
recovers from the disease. It is one of the few countries in the world that
_requires_ a double negative test to let you go out of isolation (2 negative
tests within 24 hours).

As the evidence now is clear that presence of RNA does not equate necessarily
to infectious virus (good correlation until 7 days from symptom onset, the
declining, and over 15 days here is no more correlation: in people with milder
symptoms this happens earlier), and that people with milder symptoms usually
clear viral RNA very slowly from their throats, this causes (and caused) a lot
of people to be stuck in isolation for weeks, or months (the negative record
is a 4 year old child who was confined for almost three months).

The expert panel of the government won't change their guideline out of
"precaution", despite the scientific evidence saying something different.

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s9w
But isn't the problem apparent? Many people are tested with a very low
prevalence and a Test that has at least _some_ false-positive rate. This
statistical problem has been known and discussed for decades now, for example
in the field of women breast cancer. There we have discussion about
unnecessary cancer operations as a result.

But come covid, mentioning this gets you called a Nazi in my Country. The
current positive rate of tests in Germany are about 0.8%. Over 99% of the
tests are negative. We know that the test has about 1% false positive rate
from official numbers. That is under ideal conditions. But no one points out
the obvious.

