This isn’t true. Containing the spread through mass testing would allow us to more appropriately measure the response and direct resources accordingly. Every epidemiologist I’ve read says the lack of testing is a very concerning in terms of our ability to address and respond to the pandemic.
>There's no reason to test if there aren't any confirmed cases.
There's no reason to test when there isn't a high confidence that the person has the virus. Especially when the test costs something north of $3,000 and even with good insurance only a fraction of it is being paid for based on numerous Reddit threads and a news article [0] puts a specific patient's bill at:
>$3,270 two weeks after his test. He will be responsible for $1,400 of that bill.
A Forbes article [1] two weeks ago even states:
>The cost of testing include the costs of test kits, labor, and sample processing. In some cases, storage and delivery costs would need to be added. It’s unclear what the costs of the test kits are, or ancillary items, as CDC and others haven’t revealed figures. For the sake of argument, let’s say that on the low end of the scale each test, including ancillary items such as labor and sample processing, costs $250, and at the high end it’s $1,500.
You have to balance that cost against the cost of not containing this outbreak, which is likely to be far, far more than that, not just in money but in lives.
It's also critically important to act quickly, as it's at the early stages when this outbreak has a chance to be stopped. If we keep waiting until it's obvious that there's a large outbreak in the US it may be way too late.
You don't have to test everyone in the US, or even anyone who has a cough, but everyone with severe symptoms of the disease should have been tested, regardless of whether they've recently been to China or had contacts with people who had.
Never a more frightening instance of "penny wise, pound foolish".
"Oh heavens no, we can't afford to preventatively test for a virulent new lethal pathogen that has already brought one of the world's largest economies to a total standstill - it costs literally dozens of dollars!"
The patient who pays for the test gains nothing from the results.
The country gains from the results, but isn't offering to pay.
If I had been to China and got ill when returning to the US, I would not be getting tested - the test wouldn't help my chance of survival, and would just cost me money and time.
And thus, how we find it now is bursting clusters with illnesses that can't be hidden by "flu." By then it's too late.
Seems like the only way to contain it is do blanket nationwide testing every day and quickly contain anyone who tests positive, for like 6 months.