A new type of Coronavirus test could turn the tide by revealing who has already recovered. Those immune people could go back to work first.

Business Insider ^ | 04/05/2020 | Aylin Woodward

[SeekAndFind]

More than 85% of Americans are under stay-at-home orders, and at least one-third of the world is under some type of lockdown.

The restrictions promote social distancing to "flatten the curve," or keeping the number of coronavirus infections at a level that won't overwhelm healthcare systems. But keeping so many people at home is also tanking the global economy and depriving students of education. About 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance in the past two weeks, and the US restaurant industry had hemorrhaged about $25 billion as of March 22. Major universities have switched to remote classes, and public schools are closed indefinitely in states including California, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Plus, of course, staying at home is making many of us lonely and stir-crazy. So the question on many people's minds is: When will the lockdowns end?

Experts can't say for sure. The US's social-distancing guidelines have been extended through at least April 30. According to Davidson Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston University, some relief could come in mid-May. Epidemiologists at Harvard University think intermittent lockdowns may need to extend into 2022, with social-distancing measures in place 25% to 70% of the time.

However, a new antibody test rolling out in the US within weeks offers a glimmer of hope. These tests will be able to tell whether a person has already had COVID-19, regardless of whether they showed symptoms. A positive result would mean they're probably immune.

Widespread antibody testing could divide America into two groups: the vulnerable, and the recovered. The latter could slowly go back to work, breathing life into the US economy and helping us get back on track before a vaccine becomes available.

[Othniel]

And if you say, "We're gonna get through this." ONE MORE TIME....

[null and void]

you’re not on the Red Dwarf ping list because why?

[HangThemHigh]

"Sounds like I need to get the virus quickly where I can feed my family. Should’ve gone to Florida and partied with the college aged kids over Spring Break. Win-Win."

Or come up with a way to fool the test that you had it & are fully cured. Back to work quick or sell the test fooling scheme & forget work.