Read on Twitter
So about testing. Had a conversation today with someone who started the conversation by stating that we weren't actually having a conversation (these are among the best kinds tbh). They wanted to highlight something that isn't being covered loudly enough here in #Ontario /1
It's the fact that increased testing demand is currently pulling away skilled staff from hospitals, including the same staff that @Fordnation has been suggesting need to pick up the slack and work weekends in a bid to address the enormous backlogs of essential services /2
that have been amassed during the course of the pandemic. The caller was frustrated because they don't think the public realizes that increased testing comes at a staffing price - one that will undoubtedly lead hospitals to again start cancelling surgeries and various other /3
programs because the staff involved were seconded, or volunteered, to work testing. And though testing is a delegated act, hospitals can't hire and train people fast enough to meet demand. Moreover, increased testing demand is already outstripping laboratory abilities /4
to process and we're again seeing multi-day waits for results. Bottom line. Increased testing was predictable, was not something the province prepared for well, and it will necessarily lead to worsening of various backlogs, and if the province were serious about wanting /5
to address backlogs and/or serious about wanting to actually deal with exponentially growing pandemic, focus wouldn't be on increasing testing, but rather on decreasing transmission, which yes, according to this caller absolutely should include strategic closures of various /6
non-essential services (bars, indoor dining, strip clubs, gyms, nail salons, hair dresssers and barbers, etc.) with public health lens being laser focused on the questions of, "will this intervention help reduce healthcare backlogs and keep kids in school" /7
and that a limit on backyard party size is definitely not likely to effect by itself. Bottom line. Increasing testing, without decreasing transmission, will make pretty much everything worse by leading to lengthier wait times for results, untenable waits to get testing, while /8
stealing highly trained staff from their highly trained roles only to spend their days shoving long q-tips into people's noses while simultaneously trying to explain to frustrated parents that no, just because you're here with your child doesn't mean you need testing too. /end
And regarding targeted closures. We should be paying those industries to stay closed, not simply slamming the door on them. Paying them to stay closed might well save money in the long run overall too.
And just saw this example of those highly trained staff. Kudo for paramedics for stepping up. But I'd imagine we would all rather they were there in their ambulances in case we needed them than working the swab line https://twitter.com/QCHOttawa/status/1307358594602598401
