More than a few people need to hear this, but the PCR is a good test, a great test even for diagnosis of viruses. The problem is not that PCR produces too many false positives or inflates case numbers or any other missense you may have heard. 1/2

The problem is that given our case numbers and our unprepared/underfunded lab infrastructure, PCR tests are getting to people far too late in the infection. These people *had* the virus, but if we're catching them past the point of infectiousness, PCR is simply not as useful. 2/3

(Turns out I had more to say.) PCR is still useful *for* that particular individual--to know why they were ill, for eg, and to watch for long-term effects--but on a population scale, it's not quick and abundant enough to stop the spread of the virus through a community. 3/3