It's my understanding that there are now several rapid tests available that generate results in less than an hour, can be self-administered and have sensitivity of 95-98% and selectivity of 97-100% (false negative of 5% and false positive of 3%). Obviously you'd want to set up testing such that there is no cross-exposure of pilots, staff, etc. prior to getting a test result. You could give out little green "good to go" badges to everyone with a negative test. Seems like unless we can get everyone vaccinated, this is the main method available to provide higher confidence to everyone involved. A mixed combination of vaccinations and testing is a likely outcome given the pace of vaccinations and the age of pilots (older with higher priority to get a stick), volunteers, etc. With the new more infectious strain now circulating in the US it seems like some extra care would be in order. Early season contests are likely to face more concerns than later, but it's really too early to forecast much.

Things are still very much in flux, but at least the trajectory on vaccines and testing - if not hospitalizations - are headed in a positive direction..

Andy Blackburn
9B

On Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 3:34:03 PM UTC-8, Gregg Ballou wrote:
If you have onsite instant testing at a contest and a pilot pops positive, what do you do? Send them the poz pilot home and launch everyone else who was around them to spread the 'rona to farmers? Cancel the whole contest? Who is going to show up knowing notoriously unreliable testing could end their race wasting time and travel expense?