Thread by @MonicaGandhi9

I am going to make time later today to please write out the history of measles to this group as I think it will be illustrative. We do not test for "asymptomatic infection" in ID for other viruses because they generally spread from person-to-person when they are symptomatic

(e.g. influenza which you know well; SARS, MERS - the 2 earlier coronaviruses that caused severe disease in humans in 2002-3, 2012 but went away from syndromic surveillance). Once there is a herd immunity reached from COVID-19 from widespread vaccination (& natural infection)

there would be no reason to test asymptomatic individuals anymore to see if they have SARS-CoV-2 in their nose and should isolate from others because vaccination prevents 95% (95%!) of symptomatic COVID-19 and nearly 100% of severe illness. Mass testing will cease after mass vax

I am very afraid this question seems to be becoming a political one for no reason (like immunity after a viral infection was a political debate early on for no reason). It is possible that some people like to be on TV & the addictive nature of doom is pushing them out on TV.

There is no reason to politicize this. Medicine/ID would not have 1) immediately worked on vaccines if this was not the way to get back to normal; 2) jumped up and down with joy when such effective vaccine data was released; 3) be pushing for mass vaccination so hard to get life

back to normal (normal means- eventually- no mask, distancing). So not sure if it is worth having this debate if it is a semantic one and trying to get people's minds into a groove of addictive fear. The results will prove themselves as in Israel with mass vaccination

Spending precious public health dollars on testing will no longer be indicated after mass vaccination achieved and the debate will go away on its own. Please try not to worry and look ahead with absolute certainty of being able to be close with loved ones, neighbors, friends.

But to be perfectly clear, we mass tested for SARS-CoV-2 because it can spread from person-to-person even when someone is asymptomatic so that was the REASON for mass testing now. But there won't be reason after virus is defanged with mass vaccination.

Asymptomatic spread is actually the Achilles heel of COVID-19 prevention which is why masks are recommended. But that is because people were not immune as they will be after vaccine; immunity takes this from bad virus to nothing virus (95% efficacy)
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…