The most promising plan I've heard along these lines is detailed in a recent episode of
This Week in Virology.[1]
We could have this disease under control by the time school starts by giving everyone (or at least everyone in highly affected areas) tests every day.
This is possible, practical, and affordable.
The technology for fast pregnancy-test style tests for COVID-19 exists right now, and they could cost as little as $1 per test.
The reason these tests aren't being used yet is because of the FDA's misguided requirements for extremely high sensitivity for COVID-19 tests. If these requirements could be relaxed to allow lower-sensitivity tests, then these tests could go out on the market... or, better yet, the government could take over and ensure everyone gets tested with these tests every day for $1 a test.
Even a more limited plan of testing just all schoolkids every day for $1 a test would be way better than what we've got now.
[1] - Starting at about 6'20" in to episode 640: https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-640/
We could have this disease under control by the time school starts by giving everyone (or at least everyone in highly affected areas) tests every day.
This is possible, practical, and affordable.
The technology for fast pregnancy-test style tests for COVID-19 exists right now, and they could cost as little as $1 per test.
The reason these tests aren't being used yet is because of the FDA's misguided requirements for extremely high sensitivity for COVID-19 tests. If these requirements could be relaxed to allow lower-sensitivity tests, then these tests could go out on the market... or, better yet, the government could take over and ensure everyone gets tested with these tests every day for $1 a test.
Even a more limited plan of testing just all schoolkids every day for $1 a test would be way better than what we've got now.
[1] - Starting at about 6'20" in to episode 640: https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-640/