APS COVID Tests for Spring Break - What percentage do you estimate are going straight in the trash?

[Anonymous]

Seems like a big waste of taxpayer money. They never handed out tests for the flu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a big waste of taxpayer money. They never handed out tests for the flu.

The flu never did this, dumba$$.

[Anonymous]

My kids both developed a bad cold this week so we were happy to have these tests on hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a big waste of taxpayer money. They never handed out tests for the flu.

Is there a rapid test for the flu that's inexpensive? If so, that would be hugely helpful and frankly schools should hand those out during flu season and if there are outbreaks in a school. We have used home strep tests for years to rule out when one of our kids has strep versus a regular sore throat from allergies or a cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids both developed a bad cold this week so we were happy to have these tests on hand.

I hope you didn’t rely on a negative result on an at home rapid given how poorly those do detecting BA.2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids both developed a bad cold this week so we were happy to have these tests on hand.

I hope you didn’t rely on a negative result on an at home rapid given how poorly those do detecting BA.2.

So they’re a complete waste of time and money. Got it. Yet you jump on people who said just oss them. Pick a side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids both developed a bad cold this week so we were happy to have these tests on hand.

I hope you didn’t rely on a negative result on an at home rapid given how poorly those do detecting BA.2.

Ideally you would test when symptoms develop but again ~5 days after symptoms develop. Or get a PCR test. PP is right that for whatever reason the rapid tests aren’t picking up Omicron-based COVID until we’ll into the symptomatic/infectious period.

It still might just be a cold but a negative test at first sign of sickness doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. I don’t know the science behind why it’s harder to detect than delta or the original but can tell you that it’s true. Swing through Kenmore or one of the other testing centers and PCR test. Take some precautions until results come in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They expire April 2022.

I'm PP and already used ours since we have colds. We got inconclusive results (no control line) from these tests from APS, then used a Binax and the test shows negative. I think they really are expired.

We used the school issued tests with no issues at all. Sounds like you had a defunct test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a big waste of taxpayer money. They never handed out tests for the flu.

The flu never did this, dumba$$.

You're correct - the estimated flu deaths of kids under 18 is way higher than from COVID.

And the COVID vaccines are WAY more effective than the flu vaccine. I can't help the 13% of Americans who aren't vaccinated, and definitely my children aren't by missing school (whlie bars, restaurants and stadiums are packed).

[Anonymous]

APS just sent an email asking people to use them. HAHAHAHA

We test when we're actually sick, as do most normal people in this country.

[Anonymous]

Can you just call circular file the trash?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids both developed a bad cold this week so we were happy to have these tests on hand.

I hope you didn’t rely on a negative result on an at home rapid given how poorly those do detecting BA.2.

So they’re a complete waste of time and money. Got it. Yet you jump on people who said just oss them. Pick a side.

I’m the pp you’re responding to. I didn’t jump on anyone who said to toss them (although I also don’t agree with that either). The at-home tests can be a convenient alternative to taking a sick kid out for a test if the at-home comes up positive, but have too high an error rate to rely on a negative result.

[Anonymous]

Actually it looks like quite a few people ARE using these tests. There are 23 cases of covid reported to the dashboard today so far, whereas before it was just a case or two each day over spring break. Yay, APS families -- don't send your sick kid into school!

[Anonymous]

Here is the dashboard link: https://apsva.co1.qualtrics.com/public-dashboard/v0/dashboard/60d5f170495a0000108b9941#/dashboard/60d5f170495a0000108b9941?pageId=Page_749e04aa-9c5e-44dc-b924-af5889aaacb9

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually it looks like quite a few people ARE using these tests. There are 23 cases of covid reported to the dashboard today so far, whereas before it was just a case or two each day over spring break. Yay, APS families -- don't send your sick kid into school!

18-19% of APS families were crazy enough to sign up for surveillance testing too (with the risk of false positives, are just backdoor school closures - no other place in society has such surveillance testing, but kids have to bear the burden if their parents are crazy enough to sign them up).