Rapid Covid Tests and Performativity

Rapid Covid tests are a scam. They only detect high viral loads and return a high number of false positives and false negatives. So, what purpose do they serve? Performance. It allows the public to go through the motions of testing, which is reassuring in itself. I can personally attest to feeling reassured after doing a rapid test this evening, despite knowing that they are essentially useless. The other more sinister purpose is it allows the people in charge to feel that they are taking measures to prevent Covid as they encourage people to return to their workplaces. Rising levels of infectino can then be blames on people not getting rapid Covid tests frequently enough. Throughout the pandemic, the measures recommended to contain the pandemic were the easiest and cheapest to do. They were replaced with more effective but more cumbersome measures only when the evidence against their efficacy became overwhelming. For instance, they first told us to wash hands, which is the easiest thing to do. When it became apparent that that wasn't going to be anywhere near enough they told us to keep 2 metres apart. Both measures are much easier to implement than ensuring proper ventilation, which is the most effective but least discussed prevention measure.