Covid19

[Too Tall]

I was tested a week ago by my doctor- no results yet, but I would not want to be on the front lines of testing because without an external air source and a helmet on I don't see how a person could avoid being exposed. I have good breath control and found the swab very invasive: my eyes watered and nose ran, and stifling a cough was very hard. I also had an antibody test- blood drawn- and a tick panel for good measure.

Good!!! Similar experience here except I was inside my car while the drugstore pharmacist instructed me thru a loudspeaker.

[Sbti]

Testing.

[beeatnik]

^So facile. But funny!

[Too Tall]

^So facile. But funny!

LOL'ish.

I got tested a couple weeks ago. After not getting results for a few days I checked with my pharmacist who said "it can take up to 7 or 8 days" the optimist in me thought "BRILLIANT strategy for getting people to self isolate"....if you are interdependently wealthy, don't have to shop or take care of someone/thing.

[bigbill]

At work, if someone tests positive, we review the video at work for contact tracing. Recently, we had a person test positive and when we viewed the video of their workstation, they were model social distancers. At lunch, this person huddled around four other people for 30 minutes a day at lunch. We sent those 4 people out as well until they get tested. Tests in Kingman AZ get sent to the Mayo in Phoenix because the local hospital can't process them. You can get a one day result if you drive to Phoenix, but otherwise it is 3-4 days. Hard decisions for a person with lots of obligations.

[vertical_doug]

At work, if someone tests positive, we review the video at work for contact tracing. Recently, we had a person test positive and when we viewed the video of their workstation, they were model social distancers. At lunch, this person huddled around four other people for 30 minutes a day at lunch. We sent those 4 people out as well until they get tested. Tests in Kingman AZ get sent to the Mayo in Phoenix because the local hospital can't process them. You can get a one day result if you drive to Phoenix, but otherwise it is 3-4 days. Hard decisions for a person with lots of obligations.

I'd think it is in the company's interest to offer to Expense the gas, and have the employees drive the round trip. It's only 400 miles. Only lose a day of the employee. Isn't there still SBAL money at the FED level (or so Mnuchkin claims) to apply for, this seems like a covid related expense which you can farm out.

[thollandpe]

Fascinating piece on the airborne transmission of the virus, and the finer points of droplets and aerosols.
Opinion | Yes, the Coronavirus Is in the Air - The New York Times

To paraphrase, aerosols are infectious. People spread the virus by simply breathing. Aerosols can travel great distances and linger a long time. In some cases they were the primary mode of transmission. In one superspreader event, the choir practice where 52 out of 60 people were infected, time (2.5 hours) of exposure was also a factor.

Close-range transmission of aerosols is likely more significant that direct droplet spray.

“Social distancing really is important. It keeps us out of the most concentrated parts of other people’s respiratory plumes. So stay away from one another by one or two meters at least — though farther is safer.”

Note that recommendation does not say indoors or outdoors. Also note those distances do not apply when traveling at 15-20 mph in someone else’s draft. If you’re on their wheel, you’re in their plume. You’re close.

Also, wear a goddamn mask when you’re out and about.

[TMB]

Fascinating piece on the airborne transmission of the virus, and the finer points of droplets and aerosols.
Opinion | Yes, the Coronavirus Is in the Air - The New York Times

To paraphrase, aerosols are infectious. People spread the virus by simply breathing. Aerosols can travel great distances and linger a long time. In some cases they were the primary mode of transmission. In one superspreader event, the choir practice where 52 out of 60 people were infected, time (2.5 hours) of exposure was also a factor.

Close-range transmission of aerosols is likely more significant that direct droplet spray.

“Social distancing really is important. It keeps us out of the most concentrated parts of other people’s respiratory plumes. So stay away from one another by one or two meters at least — though farther is safer.”

Note that recommendation does not say indoors or outdoors. Also note those distances do not apply when traveling at 15-20 mph in someone else’s draft. If you’re on their wheel, you’re in their plume. You’re close.

Also, wear a goddamn mask when you’re out and about.

I was out on one of my solo, slow rides yesterday.

I heard a group coming up behind me so I pulled over and stopped. A group of about 25 went by with no more than 3 feet between the most distant of them.

I just shook my head and carried on on my slow, solo ride.

[ides1056]

Test results came back: negative for antibodies, negative for Covid, negative for tick borne diseases as well. The results took about eight days. My wife was tested on a trip to her doctor in NYC and had results in five hours, also negative, which seems impossible given how sick she was in February with every symptom of Covid, from fever, to GI upset, to raging pneumonia that required two antibiotics and four months to clear.

[vertical_doug]

Test results came back: negative for antibodies, negative for Covid, negative for tick borne diseases as well. The results took about eight days. My wife was tested on a trip to her doctor in NYC and had results in five hours, also negative, which seems impossible given how sick she was in February with every symptom of Covid, from fever, to GI upset, to raging pneumonia that required two antibiotics and four months to clear.

It doesn't mean she didn't have it in Feb, it just means she no longer has anti-bodies. I listened to the head of Vaccine research at Mayo Clinic give an interview. He said they see a real decay in antibodies numbers after the infection. 12 weeks out, he said somewhere between 60% to 95% of antibodies are gone. Your wife is at 20 weeks, with the decay, it's not surprising she tested negative.

[jimcav]

negative, which seems impossible

anytime you get any test, it is a good idea to know the mfr/test details so you can look up the validated sensitivity (positive result when you really have X) and specificity (negative when you truly do NOT have X). The initially highly TRUMPeted antibody test turned out to be 50% accurate.

[vespasianus]

Test results came back: negative for antibodies, negative for Covid, negative for tick borne diseases as well. The results took about eight days. My wife was tested on a trip to her doctor in NYC and had results in five hours, also negative, which seems impossible given how sick she was in February with every symptom of Covid, from fever, to GI upset, to raging pneumonia that required two antibiotics and four months to clear.

Virologist here. The issue is that lots of viruses cause these same basic symptoms so you can't say it felt like COVID-19 and have it be a true SARS-COV2 infection.

The testing right now is a mess and one issue that is that the assay can loose some sensitivity the longer the sample is stored before processing. Also, there are lots of tests that are being done wrong (not far up the nose enough and not long enough) so the results come back negative. Digital PCR with saliva looks promising.

[Too Tall]

Virologist here. The issue is that lots of viruses cause these same basic symptoms so you can't say it felt like COVID-19 and have it be a true SARS-COV2 infection.

The testing right now is a mess and one issue that is that the assay can loose some sensitivity the longer the sample is stored before processing. Also, there are lots of tests that are being done wrong (not far up the nose enough and not long enough) so the results come back negative. Digital PCR with saliva looks promising.

Thank you. Stick around.

[CXinNH]

. Also, there are lots of tests that are being done wrong (not far up the nose enough and not long enough) so the results come back negative. Digital PCR with saliva looks promising.

We had numerous patients with multiple negative tests before the 4th or 5th test was positive.

Outside of issues with the test itself, or false sampling - there is also a subset of patients who seem to get a primary pulmonary manifestation with no sore throat. In this group pharyngeal or nasal swabs are unlikely to be useful. See Christian Drosden's publication on that topic (Virchow Institute, Berlin). Drosden's podcast on corana is the most informative and reliable resource that exists on the topic, regrettably only in German.
'Das Coronavirus' Podcast Captivates Germany With Scientific Info On The Pandemic : NPR

[guido]

Bonus Daily Cartoon: The Spreaders | The New Yorker

[ides1056]

My doctor was very thorough with the Covid test, which took about ten seconds in each nostril. The protocol now is for the swab not to be inserted all the way up to the back of the throat, but only part way, gratefully. A doctor friend told me that the Roche test processed by Quest was reliable, but I have read otherwise. The antibody used blood.

I am disappointed because I had hoped to be one of the lucky ones.

[Will Neide]

My doctor was very thorough with the Covid test, which took about ten seconds in each nostril. The protocol now is for the swab not to be inserted all the way up to the back of the throat, but only part way, gratefully. A doctor friend told me that the Roche test processed by Quest was reliable, but I have read otherwise. The antibody used blood.

I am disappointed because I had hoped to be one of the lucky ones.

Roche's antibody test is good. Abbott's is decent as well. A handful of other ones are OK. Roche and Abbott are both IgG only, so you don't want to get tested too early.

[Will Neide]

Virologist here. The issue is that lots of viruses cause these same basic symptoms so you can't say it felt like COVID-19 and have it be a true SARS-COV2 infection.

The testing right now is a mess and one issue that is that the assay can loose some sensitivity the longer the sample is stored before processing. Also, there are lots of tests that are being done wrong (not far up the nose enough and not long enough) so the results come back negative. Digital PCR with saliva looks promising.

Minor quibble, but the tests are done right, it's the pre-analytics, i.e. acquiring the sample, that is the issue.

Saliva is promising but has some complications.

[Too Tall]

Hats off to contributors to this thread. This place is without a doubt a great resource.

[Too Tall]

WRT Man'splainig vaccine and natural immune response to virus this NYT article does a bang up job. I believe this has no paywall thus a free read to all:
Opinion | Scared That Covid-19 Immunity Won’t Last? Don’t Be - The New York Times

Good news BTW.