There is a difference.
The knee replacement and back surgery threads happened to the penturning members here. Sometimes those conditions affect their ability to turn pens. They are our friends and we can sympathize and offer advice.
A generalized thread on "Home Test Kits" has nothing to do with penturning or any specific member. It is just random "chit chat". It would be little different than a thread titled, "Crochet Hooks" or "Paving Stones", except that this thread touches on a topic that is highly charged and politicized.
Here is my personal opinion:
With respect, this is a penturning website. While it makes sense to have a "Casual Conversation" forum, Penturners.org was never intended to be used as a primary social media outlet for off-topic threads. If you want generalized chit chat, try Facebook, or Reddit, or Twitter, or Instagram, or TikTok, or any other common social media platform. I note that 15 of the last 17 threads started by JT were in the Casual Conversation forum.
-> I move that this thread be closed. It is not related to pen turning, and it is overtly political.