It's insidious because you can transmit it before or even without symptoms.
In the absence of testing, avoiding contact is our only choice.
But better tools are coming.
- The existing test for active infection will be more widely available and faster.
- There will be an antibody test so we can know who has already had it, and that they are not at risk and can resume most activities.
- Those antibodies can be harvested and made into treatments for the critically ill.
- Better treatments will be devised. Data from hospitalizations will make it clear what helps and what doesn't.
- A vaccine may someday save us, but that's way off.
The critical thing right now is not to break the healthcare system altogether. To slow the flow until we have enough ventilators, and then until we have more than oxygen to give people when they get sick.
