Coronovirus IV

[Libertarian01]

All my testing has been done.

First was for the plague, which is an annoying q-tip up EACH nostril! Results will be in 48 - 72 hours.

The second was to get the foot looked at by the local MinuteClinic approved by the VA. The NP freaked out when I told her I'd just been tested, almost like it had already come back positive. After changing asks and protective gear she looked at the foot and thinks(?) it's a fungal infection.

My only issue with this whole process is the VA doesn't have me fully in the system yet so I might have to pay for it. I need to contact the VA and straighten things out.

I'm off of work for the rest of the week. Not allowed back until the test results come back. Per new fed rules I'll be paid and won't have to burn vacation or PTO time. It's that extra two (2) weeks of sick time.

If'n I test positive then we'll follow other rules.

I am not worried at all. My foot issue has been bugging me for about two (2) weeks so if I was going to get it bad it would be done already.

We will see what happens.

Regards,

Doug

 

[nonobaddog]

Just returned from LabCorp where I had my blood drawn for the $10 IgG antibody test.

https://www.labcorp.com/tests/164055/sars-cov-2-antibody-igg

The process was pretty painless other than being forced to create an account prior to booking an appointment.

I got there a a few minutes early, checked in using my phone. About 5 minutes later they sent me a text letting me know they were ready for me. I went in had the blood drown and was out 5 minutes later.

It's just a yes or no test looking for presence of antbodies. I should have results back in 1-3 days. There was a caveat related to the presence of antibodies.

Positive results may be due to past or present infection with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains, such as coronavirus HKU1, NL63, OC43, or 229E.

Those are like common cold viruses. Doesn't this mean whatever brand test they are using is suspect for poor selectivity and sensitivity?

 

[nonobaddog]

Just returned from LabCorp where I had my blood drawn for the $10 IgG antibody test.

https://www.labcorp.com/tests/164055/sars-cov-2-antibody-igg

The process was pretty painless other than being forced to create an account prior to booking an appointment.

I got there a a few minutes early, checked in using my phone. About 5 minutes later they sent me a text letting me know they were ready for me. I went in had the blood drown and was out 5 minutes later.

It's just a yes or no test looking for presence of antbodies. I should have results back in 1-3 days. There was a caveat related to the presence of antibodies.

Did you even ask them what brand test they were using?

 

[T.Lex]

I haven't paid much attention to other countries, but it makes sense that Brazil - and its high-density big cities with 3rd world infrastructure - would be having issues.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52701524

In Sao Paulo, a city of 12M people:

Bruno Covas said the city's public hospitals had reached 90% capacity and could run out of space in two weeks.

 

[paintman]

I did the antibody test at LabCorp last week.I had the results in one day. It said negative but it was the Abbot test and from what I read 48% of negatives or false negatives

 

[paintman]

I would have swore that’s what I had in February. All symptoms matched and I was negative for everything else they tested for

 

[HoughMade]

All my testing has been done.

First was for the plague, which is an annoying q-tip up EACH nostril! Results will be in 48 - 72 hours.

The second was to get the foot looked at by the local MinuteClinic approved by the VA. The NP freaked out when I told her I'd just been tested, almost like it had already come back positive. After changing asks and protective gear she looked at the foot and thinks(?) it's a fungal infection.

My only issue with this whole process is the VA doesn't have me fully in the system yet so I might have to pay for it. I need to contact the VA and straighten things out.

I'm off of work for the rest of the week. Not allowed back until the test results come back. Per new fed rules I'll be paid and won't have to burn vacation or PTO time. It's that extra two (2) weeks of sick time.

If'n I test positive then we'll follow other rules.

I am not worried at all. My foot issue has been bugging me for about two (2) weeks so if I was going to get it bad it would be done already.

We will see what happens.

Regards,

Doug

Prayers that everything works out for you, 'rona or otherwise.

 

[MCgrease08]

Did you even ask them what brand test they were using?

Yes, but the tech didn't know.

 

[nonobaddog]

I did the antibody test at LabCorp last week.I had the results in one day. It said negative but it was the Abbot test and from what I read 48% of negatives or false negatives

Those are terrible numbers.

If the test was the Abbott test(with 2 T's) it is supposed to have a specificity of 99.9% and sensitivity of 100%. It is one of the best ones available.

There are about 200 different antibody tests out there, some by bad players, so there could be an Abbot (with one T like you posted) that is one of the bad ones and trying to look good by using such a similar name. I just haven't heard of them.

 

[nonobaddog]

Yes, but the tech didn't know.

OK, thanks. That figures they wouldn't know, they just run them through.

 

[smokingman]

Those are terrible numbers.

If the test was the Abbott test(with 2 T's) it is supposed to have a specificity of 99.9% and sensitivity of 100%. It is one of the best ones available.

There are about 200 different antibody tests out there, some by bad players, so there could be an Abbot (with one T like you posted) that is one of the bad ones and trying to look good by using such a similar name. I just haven't heard of them.

https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...curacy-of-widely-used-abbott-coronavirus-test

The Food and Drug Administration is cautioning the public about the reliability of a widely used rapid test for the coronavirus. The test, made by Abbott Laboratories, has been linked with inaccurate results that could falsely reassure patients that they are not infected with the virus.

 

[nonobaddog]

https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...curacy-of-widely-used-abbott-coronavirus-test

The Food and Drug Administration is cautioning the public about the reliability of a widely used rapid test for the coronavirus. The test, made by Abbott Laboratories, has been linked with inaccurate results that could falsely reassure patients that they are not infected with the virus.

Yes, that is the rapid test for the chinese virus itself based on a swab stuck in the back of the nasal cavity. They are having trouble with that one. But we were talking about their test for antibodies to the chinese virus which is based on a blood sample.

 

[paintman]

I’m probably wrong on the 48%. I could have read it wrong either way the test came back negative for me

 

[smokingman]

Yes, that is the rapid test for the chinese virus itself based on a swab stuck in the back of the nasal cavity. They are having trouble with that one. But we were talking about their test for antibodies to the chinese virus which is based on a blood sample.

https://academic.oup.com/clinchem/advance-article/doi/10.1093/clinchem/hvaa120/5836557
The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 assay had fewer false positive and false negative results than the EI assay. However, diagnostic sensitivity was poor in both assays during the first 14 days of symptoms.


Understood. It had poor reliability as well though.

 

[MCgrease08]

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to be growing frustrated that people in his city are ignoring his ongoing lockdown and beginning to venture outside.

He is doubling down on threats of enforcement for those who dare go against his personal wishes.

De Blasio Warns Beach Swimmers Will ‘Be Taken Right Out Of The Water’

“Anyone tries to get in the water they’ll be taken right out of the water,” he said, adding that there will be “fencing” that would “be in position,” but said it “doesn’t have to be put up unless we have to take tougher measures.”

“The police department will be out, the sheriff’s office will be out watching very carefully on the Upper East Side in particular,” he said. “We’re not going to tolerate people congregating. It’s as simple as that.”

“If we have to shut places down, we will,” de Blasio threatened.

De Blasio asked New Yorkers to rat out their neighbors if they see establishments violating his shelter-in-place executive order.

“If we have instances where there is not compliance I want to know about it,” de Blasio said. “I want any New Yorker who sees any place allowing dining in to call 311 immediately and they will be visited immediately with inspectors and there will be serious fines. If we have to shut places down we will.”

What these politicians like de Blasio, Whitmer, Newsome and others don't seem to understand is that these lockdown orders have only lasted this long because the people have allowed it. If half a million New Yorkers show up to go swimming, there is no way NYPD could drag everyone out of the water.

 

[nonobaddog]

https://academic.oup.com/clinchem/advance-article/doi/10.1093/clinchem/hvaa120/5836557
The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 assay had fewer false positive and false negative results than the EI assay. However, diagnostic sensitivity was poor in both assays during the first 14 days of symptoms.

Understood. It had poor reliability as well though.

Based on those poor results I would guess that was their first antibody test. Everybody was just trying to get something out there that would work but nobody did it very well.

It is their second test on the Aliniti system that seems to do it well. It took a little longer to develop but worth the wait.
https://www.foxnews.com/science/abbott-emergency-use-authorization-coronavirus-antibody-test

The other test that is good is Roche and maybe a couple others but most of the 200 tests out there are not good.

 

[jedi]

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to be growing frustrated that people in his city are ignoring his ongoing lockdown and beginning to venture outside.

He is doubling down on threats of enforcement for those who dare go against his personal wishes.

De Blasio Warns Beach Swimmers Will ‘Be Taken Right Out Of The Water’



What these politicians like de Blasio, Whitmer, Newsome and others don't seem to understand is that these lockdown orders have only lasted this long because the people have allowed it. If half a million New Yorkers show up to go swimming, there is no way NYPD could drag everyone out of the water.

[video=youtube_share;-wntX-a3jSY]https://youtu.be/-wntX-a3jSY[/video]

I do hope the people of New York do just that.
Do what boston did many moons ago. The mayor is NOT the king!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

So Indianapolis is now planning on closing city streets to allow restaurants to use them for outdoor seating. That seems ill though out. Can't find a link yet, but just saw it on WTHR.

 

[Phase2]

So Indianapolis is now planning on closing city streets to allow restaurants to use them for outdoor seating. That seems ill though out. Can't find a link yet, but just saw it on WTHR.

It is being used elsewhere and appears to be working okay. It is a temporary step where you close off a block where there are multiple restaurants and would be removed as things ease up which would correspond with more traffic.

There is pent-up demand to go out, so I'll bet they will actually be popular with the patrons.

 

[nonobaddog]

https://academic.oup.com/clinchem/advance-article/doi/10.1093/clinchem/hvaa120/5836557
The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 assay had fewer false positive and false negative results than the EI assay. However, diagnostic sensitivity was poor in both assays during the first 14 days of symptoms.


Understood. It had poor reliability as well though.

Also you realize that during the first several days of an infection the body has not even begun to produce antibodies so no test in the world is going to find what isn't there. Then after those first few days the body starts by making Immunoglobulin M antibodies and after several more days it starts making Immunoglobulin G antibodies. So if the test is looking for IgG antibodies it takes a little longer before they are even there to detect.

People are interested in finding out how early the disease can be detected by testing early but the fact that a test does not find what isn't even there during the first few days is not a problem with the test. They are using the test to evaluate the antibody development. In order to evaluate the test you must obviously have known antibodies in the system or known absence of antibodies

It makes sense to test for the later developing IgG antibodies because that is the one you want for any future immunity.