Wouldn't quick and easy, highly automated and thus very cheap blood finger pricking test done at the nearest Walgreens be a great thing? I feel like there is a business idea somewhere here.
Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
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Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#12I don't understand the judging. It's everyones's own choice.
I got an antibody test post COVID vaccination, and it took a lot of scientific paper reading to find a convertible reference point, but it was time well spent. I got antibodies level less than the average of 80 age group (for my vaccine).
Not something I was expecting, since I have been eating very healthy (with enough organic veggies and fruits), consistently, getting enough sunlight or supplementing vit D when I can't, and exercising for over a decade and half now.
That made me start doubting my health and immune system, so I started taking it seriously. And surely, there are issues that I discovered upon further investigation and bloodwork. There's a suspicion about a possible autoimmune issue as well, but these diagnosis take a very long time - no simple tests.
In short, it's been worth knowing and taking action, for me.
Downvoters: I know you're getting triggered because you're anti-vaxxers. FYI, I did pay for everything myself. It affects you in no way - but please come forth and specify your objections.
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#13Very normal to do a CBC test - it's to see if you're inflamed, or somethings going on but your body is handling it / if there's an excess number from baseline then you have something that should be investigated. It's $20 at most places in USA, results in a day or two, if you need same day that's when it goes up. But I think this is a generally poor article and another NYtimes puffpiece. Not once did they mention the…
I thought they were probably talking about IgG testing?
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#14Wouldn't quick and easy, highly automated and thus very cheap blood finger pricking test done at the nearest Walgreens be a great thing? I feel like there is a business idea somewhere here.
My social media is full of ads for various kinds of medical testing. Usually “at home” versions, sometimes completely at home, sometimes mailing something back.
Automation in labs is already a thing, progress marches ever on.
Places like LabCorp that do testing for doctors offices without labs also already exist and they will do a la carte tests for anybody.
You want to wrap it up and do better, you’ll need to be able to build highly automated machinery that may need FDA approval and do so cheaply enough to replace lab techs who can do hundreds of different kinds of tests.
If you were successful you might be able to make a difference and a lot of money but not before you reached a huge scale and because it’s medicine there is a huge mountain to climb for doing lots of things safely and accurately, and a narrow gap to find where you can save money and time.
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#15Note: Article is from the Style section.
The different sections of a newspaper have wildly varying journalistic standards. It's important to understand where your news comes from, and these writers don't specialize in medical news. I doubt this would be getting so much attention if it wasn't in NYT
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#16Wouldn't quick and easy, highly automated and thus very cheap blood finger pricking test done at the nearest Walgreens be a great thing? I feel like there is a business idea somewhere here.
I once got a Theranos test mostly for fun. Everyone is so focused on the fraud that they miss a more fundamental issue: finger pricks are a very painful way to draw blood. Your finger tip is extremely heavily innervated and very sensitive. Okay, maybe no big deal if you need one drop of blood, e.g. for a hemoglobin test. But Theranos wanted maybe ten drops of blood. Having one’s finger squeezed hard and long enough to extract that much blood takes quite a while and leaves one’s finger hurting for quite a while.
I would take a venous blood draw from a good or even mediocre phlebotomist over a Theranos test any time. Heck, the time I got thirteen or so blood vials drawn by an actual good phlebotomist was basically painless and may have been faster than getting a single magic Theranos cartridge drawn.
So count me out. People who want tests can go to Labcorp or Quest and get reasonably priced testing done by professional phlebotomists. Both companies have offices all over.
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#17It isn’t overly expensive. Most insurances will cover it, but if they don’t it’s about $100 to 200. It's around 25 EUR in Germany. https://archive.is/dyY3Q
This is in the US where we aren’t burdened with inefficient, government-controlled health care. /s
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#18I don't understand the judging. It's everyones's own choice. I got an antibody test post COVID vaccination, and it took a lot of scientific paper reading to find a convertible reference point, but it was time well spent. I got antibodies level less than the average of 80 age group (for my vaccine). Not something I was expecting, since I have been eating very healthy (with enough organic veggies and fruits), consisten…
[deleted]
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#19> Others just want to be armed with more information about their medical status That's really all that needs to be said. Rich people, poor people... if you want to know your body's status, you have every right to, without having to justify it. The jury's out on what the numbers mean. But you have the right to do a blood test and get your numbers.
They have the right, as long as they aren't being subsidized by the government (and I suspect they are). But they might as well get their mitichlorian count while they are at it. It would mean about as much. Antibody levels will always fade after a vaccine within months and memory t-cells will remain.
> They have the right, as long as they aren't being subsidized by the government (and I suspect they are).
This is a sound criticism, honestly. If there are social systems designed to provide a specific benefit across an entire population (testing once or twice post-vaccination to see if the vaccine stuck for select immunocompromised people or people in high risk environments) that end up being abused to give a different, nebulous benefit for a select few (testing all the time to have a bead on just one factor of immunity that may or may not show the whole picture), that's not okay.
Now if they're paying for it, or if their insurance provider is paying for it (which would amaze me, but alas), then that's up to them and they should have every right.
Re: Some Rich People Are Counting Their Antibodies ‘Like Calories’
#20Wouldn't quick and easy, highly automated and thus very cheap blood finger pricking test done at the nearest Walgreens be a great thing? I feel like there is a business idea somewhere here.
I once got a Theranos test mostly for fun. Everyone is so focused on the fraud that they miss a more fundamental issue: finger pricks are a very painful way to draw blood. Your finger tip is extremely heavily innervated and very sensitive. Okay, maybe no big deal if you need one drop of blood, e.g. for a hemoglobin test. But Theranos wanted maybe ten drops of blood. Having one’s finger squeezed hard and long enough t…
What actually happened to draw blood from the earlobes?