On the subject of Testing for SARS-CoV2 (CV-19)
May 22, 2020 06:16:12 #
We constantly hear about the need for TESTING in order to understand where we stand in the lifespan of the
SARS-CoV2 p******c. But what information do we actually receive from either of the two methods available when testing for this v***s. It is important to understand what a positive or negative test result really means!
Types of Testing: RT-PCR
PCR, short for polymerase chain reaction, is a highly specific laboratory technique. The key to understanding PCR testing is that PCR can identify an individual specific v***s within a v***l family.
However, a PCR test can only be used to identify DNA v***ses; the SARS-CoV2 v***s is an RNA v***s. Therefore, multiple steps must be taken to “magnify” the amount of genetic material in the specimen.
Researchers used a method called RT-PCR, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, to specifically identify the SARS-CoV-2 v***s. It’s a complicated process. To read more about it, go here and here.
If a nasal or a blood sample contains a tiny snip of RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 v***s, RT-PCR can identify it, leading to a high probability that the person has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 v***s.
However – and this is important – a positive RT-PCR test result does not necessarily indicate a full v***s is present. The v***s must be fully intact to be t***smitted and cause illness.
RT-PCR Testing: The Importance of Timing
Even if a person has had all the symptoms associated with a c****av***s infection or has been closely exposed to persons who have been diagnosed with C****-**, the probability of a RT-PCR test being positive decreases with the number of days past the onset of symptoms.
According to a study done by Paul Wikramaratna and others:
* For a nasal swab, the percentage chance of a positive test declines from about 94% on day 0 to about 67% by day 10. By day 31, there is only a 2% chance of a positive result.
* For a throat swab, the percentage chance of a positive test declines from about 88% on day 0 to about 47% by day 10. By day 31, there is only a 1% chance of a positive result.
In other words, the longer the time frame between the onset of symptoms and the time a person is tested, the more likely the test will be negative.
Repeat testing of persons who have a negative test may (eventually) confirm the presence of v***l RNA, but this is impractical. Additionally, repeated testing of the same person can lead to even more confusing results: The test may go from negative, to positive, then back to negative again as the i****e s****m clears out the c****av***s infection and moves to recovery.
And what makes this testing even more confusing is that the FDA admits that “The detection of v***l RNA by RT-PCR does not necessarily equate with an infectious v***s.”
Let’s break that down:
You’ve had all the symptoms of C***D19, but your RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 is negative.
* Does that mean you’re “good to go” – you can go to work, go to school or you can travel? OR…
* Does that mean your influenza-like illness was caused by some other pathogen, possibly one of the four c****av***ses that have been in circulation for 60 years? OR…
* Does that mean the result is a false-negative and you still have the infection, but it isn’t detectable by current tests? OR…
* Does that mean it was a sample was inadequately taken due to the faulty technique by the technician? OR…
* Does that mean you have not been exposed, and you are susceptible to contracting the infection, and you need to stay in quarantine?
So, what does a “positive” test actually mean? And that’s the problem:
No one knows for sure.
Another Type of Testing: ANTIBODIES
According to the nonprofit Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), more than 200 serologic blood tests, to test for antibodies, are either now available or in development.
There are two primary types of antibodies that are assessed for nearly any type of infection: IgM and IgG.
While several new testing devices are being touted as a home test, they are not the same as a home pregnancy test or a glucometer to you’re your blood sugar. The blood spot or saliva specimen can be collected at home, must it must then be sent to a laboratory for analysis. It can take a few days – or longer – to get the results.
With so many tests in the pipeline, the ability to test at home will be changing over time.
The first antibody to rise is IgM. It rises quickly after the onset of the infection and is usually a sign of an acute, or current, infection. The IgM levels diminish quickly as the infection resolves. The FDA admits they do not know how long the IgM remains present for SARS-CoV-2 as the infection is being cleared.
The interpretation of an IgG antibody is more difficult. This antibody is an indicator of a past infection. The test is often not specific enough to determine if the past infection was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 v***s or one of the four common c****av***ses that cause influenza-like illness.
The FDA says:
Because serology testing can yield a negative test result even if the patient is actively infected (e.g., the body has not yet developed in response to the v***s) or maybe falsely positive (e.g., if the antibody indicates a past infection by a different c****av***s), this type of testing should not be used to diagnose an acute or active C****-** infection.
Similarly, the CDC says the following regarding antibody testing:
* If you test positive:
* A positive test result shows you have antibodies as a result of an infection with SARS-CoV-2, or possibly a related c****av***s.
* It’s unclear if those antibodies can provide protection (immunity) against getting infected again. This means that we do not know at this time if antibodies make you immune to the v***s.
* If you have no symptoms, you likely do not have an active infection and no additional follow-up is needed.
* It’s possible you might test positive for antibodies and you might not have or have ever had symptoms of C****-**. This is known as having an asymptomatic infection [ie you have a healthy i****e s****m!]
* An antibody test cannot tell if you are currently sick with C****-**.
* If you test negative
* If you test negative for antibodies, you probably did not have a previous infection. However, you could have a current infection because antibodies don’t show up for 1 to 3 weeks after infection.
* Some people may take even longer to develop antibodies, and some people may not develop antibodies.
* An antibody test cannot tell if you are currently sick with C****-**.
What? Wait!
* Doesn’t the v*****e industry call the IgG a “protective antibody”?
* Isn’t this the marker of immunity they assess after you’ve had an infection with measles or chickenpox or mumps to determine if you are immune to future infections?
* Isn’t this the marker of induced immunity they are trying to achieve by administering a v*****e?
If the FDA does not know if an IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2 after recovering from the infection is protective against a future infection, then they certainly don’t know if an antibody caused by a v*****e will prevent infection either.
Doesn’t this completely eliminate the theory that antibodies afford protection and antibodies from v*****es are necessary to keep you from getting sick?
Mandatory Testing – New Job Creation
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/05/no_author/749967-2/
SARS-CoV2 p******c. But what information do we actually receive from either of the two methods available when testing for this v***s. It is important to understand what a positive or negative test result really means!
Types of Testing: RT-PCR
PCR, short for polymerase chain reaction, is a highly specific laboratory technique. The key to understanding PCR testing is that PCR can identify an individual specific v***s within a v***l family.
However, a PCR test can only be used to identify DNA v***ses; the SARS-CoV2 v***s is an RNA v***s. Therefore, multiple steps must be taken to “magnify” the amount of genetic material in the specimen.
Researchers used a method called RT-PCR, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, to specifically identify the SARS-CoV-2 v***s. It’s a complicated process. To read more about it, go here and here.
If a nasal or a blood sample contains a tiny snip of RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 v***s, RT-PCR can identify it, leading to a high probability that the person has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 v***s.
However – and this is important – a positive RT-PCR test result does not necessarily indicate a full v***s is present. The v***s must be fully intact to be t***smitted and cause illness.
RT-PCR Testing: The Importance of Timing
Even if a person has had all the symptoms associated with a c****av***s infection or has been closely exposed to persons who have been diagnosed with C****-**, the probability of a RT-PCR test being positive decreases with the number of days past the onset of symptoms.
According to a study done by Paul Wikramaratna and others:
* For a nasal swab, the percentage chance of a positive test declines from about 94% on day 0 to about 67% by day 10. By day 31, there is only a 2% chance of a positive result.
* For a throat swab, the percentage chance of a positive test declines from about 88% on day 0 to about 47% by day 10. By day 31, there is only a 1% chance of a positive result.
In other words, the longer the time frame between the onset of symptoms and the time a person is tested, the more likely the test will be negative.
Repeat testing of persons who have a negative test may (eventually) confirm the presence of v***l RNA, but this is impractical. Additionally, repeated testing of the same person can lead to even more confusing results: The test may go from negative, to positive, then back to negative again as the i****e s****m clears out the c****av***s infection and moves to recovery.
And what makes this testing even more confusing is that the FDA admits that “The detection of v***l RNA by RT-PCR does not necessarily equate with an infectious v***s.”
Let’s break that down:
You’ve had all the symptoms of C***D19, but your RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 is negative.
* Does that mean you’re “good to go” – you can go to work, go to school or you can travel? OR…
* Does that mean your influenza-like illness was caused by some other pathogen, possibly one of the four c****av***ses that have been in circulation for 60 years? OR…
* Does that mean the result is a false-negative and you still have the infection, but it isn’t detectable by current tests? OR…
* Does that mean it was a sample was inadequately taken due to the faulty technique by the technician? OR…
* Does that mean you have not been exposed, and you are susceptible to contracting the infection, and you need to stay in quarantine?
So, what does a “positive” test actually mean? And that’s the problem:
No one knows for sure.
Another Type of Testing: ANTIBODIES
According to the nonprofit Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), more than 200 serologic blood tests, to test for antibodies, are either now available or in development.
There are two primary types of antibodies that are assessed for nearly any type of infection: IgM and IgG.
While several new testing devices are being touted as a home test, they are not the same as a home pregnancy test or a glucometer to you’re your blood sugar. The blood spot or saliva specimen can be collected at home, must it must then be sent to a laboratory for analysis. It can take a few days – or longer – to get the results.
With so many tests in the pipeline, the ability to test at home will be changing over time.
The first antibody to rise is IgM. It rises quickly after the onset of the infection and is usually a sign of an acute, or current, infection. The IgM levels diminish quickly as the infection resolves. The FDA admits they do not know how long the IgM remains present for SARS-CoV-2 as the infection is being cleared.
The interpretation of an IgG antibody is more difficult. This antibody is an indicator of a past infection. The test is often not specific enough to determine if the past infection was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 v***s or one of the four common c****av***ses that cause influenza-like illness.
The FDA says:
Because serology testing can yield a negative test result even if the patient is actively infected (e.g., the body has not yet developed in response to the v***s) or maybe falsely positive (e.g., if the antibody indicates a past infection by a different c****av***s), this type of testing should not be used to diagnose an acute or active C****-** infection.
Similarly, the CDC says the following regarding antibody testing:
* If you test positive:
* A positive test result shows you have antibodies as a result of an infection with SARS-CoV-2, or possibly a related c****av***s.
* It’s unclear if those antibodies can provide protection (immunity) against getting infected again. This means that we do not know at this time if antibodies make you immune to the v***s.
* If you have no symptoms, you likely do not have an active infection and no additional follow-up is needed.
* It’s possible you might test positive for antibodies and you might not have or have ever had symptoms of C****-**. This is known as having an asymptomatic infection [ie you have a healthy i****e s****m!]
* An antibody test cannot tell if you are currently sick with C****-**.
* If you test negative
* If you test negative for antibodies, you probably did not have a previous infection. However, you could have a current infection because antibodies don’t show up for 1 to 3 weeks after infection.
* Some people may take even longer to develop antibodies, and some people may not develop antibodies.
* An antibody test cannot tell if you are currently sick with C****-**.
What? Wait!
* Doesn’t the v*****e industry call the IgG a “protective antibody”?
* Isn’t this the marker of immunity they assess after you’ve had an infection with measles or chickenpox or mumps to determine if you are immune to future infections?
* Isn’t this the marker of induced immunity they are trying to achieve by administering a v*****e?
If the FDA does not know if an IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2 after recovering from the infection is protective against a future infection, then they certainly don’t know if an antibody caused by a v*****e will prevent infection either.
Doesn’t this completely eliminate the theory that antibodies afford protection and antibodies from v*****es are necessary to keep you from getting sick?
Mandatory Testing – New Job Creation
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/05/no_author/749967-2/
May 22, 2020 09:34:40 #
lpnmajor
Loc: Arkansas
ACP45 wrote:
We constantly hear about the need for TESTING in o... (show quote)
To modify the trajectory of an epidemic/p******c, testing must be done on everyone simultaneously or as near to it as possible? Why? One may test negative today, be exposed tonight, and become ill and/or begin spreading the v***s days later. The purpose of non treatment related testing, is to discover and localize infected areas, i.e., forced quarantine of those infected ares to prevent spread. Such testing is 5 months too late to be effective.
May 22, 2020 09:47:59 #
lpnmajor wrote:
To modify the trajectory of an epidemic/p******c, testing must be done on everyone simultaneously or as near to it as possible? Why? One may test negative today, be exposed tonight, and become ill and/or begin spreading the v***s days later. The purpose of non treatment related testing, is to discover and localize infected areas, i.e., forced quarantine of those infected ares to prevent spread. Such testing is 5 months too late to be effective.
Without repeating the whole original post, the FDA admits that “The detection of v***l RNA by RT-PCR does not necessarily equate with an infectious v***s.”
The Antibody test "is often not specific enough to determine if the past infection was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 v***s or one of the four common c****av***ses that cause influenza-like illness." The FDA goes on to say: "Because serology testing can yield a negative test result even if the patient is actively infected (e.g., the body has not yet developed in response to the v***s) or maybe falsely positive (e.g., if the antibody indicates a past infection by a different c****av***s), this type of testing should not be used to diagnose an acute or active C****-** infection."
So, what good is testing if the results you obtain does not give you any meaningful or useful information in which to base public policy upon? Just like the issue of facemasks, it is a "comfort prop" that may make money for the manufacturer, but that's about all it will accomplish.
May 22, 2020 09:55:38 #
lpnmajor
Loc: Arkansas
ACP45 wrote:
Without repeating the whole original post, the FDA... (show quote)
Like I said, it's 5 months too late to serve any purpose other than PR. This is a very expensive con job.
May 22, 2020 09:58:05 #
lpnmajor wrote:
Like I said, it's 5 months too late to serve any purpose other than PR. This is a very expensive con job.
An if testing occured 5 months earlier, what would that have told you based upon the inherent limitations, and lack of specificity of the existing tests?
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