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FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

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Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#131

Post by marcosdumay »

absherwin wrote: post #45

This is an antibody test which will only be positive days after the onset of symptoms. This is principally useful for several purposes: 1. Figuring out who to isolate in hospitals if the RNA test isn't available in sufficient quantity 2. Understanding who has already recovered from COVID-19 and is thus immune with all that implies in terms of inability to spread the disease and reduced need for PPE 3. Enabling us to…

4. Measuring what share of people actually develops the disease so we can model forward the spread of the virus.

5. Identify whether there are riskier subpopulations or if everybody is on the same risk level.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#132

Post by hedora »

teruakohatu wrote: post #73
gridspy wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bear in mind in relation to immunity -- "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."

Slightly off topic question: do people who have been infected with those varieties have any sort of immunity against covid-19?

Some health professional floated the theory that kids aren’t getting it as much as the rest of the population because they’ve recently been hammered with all the coronaviruses at daycare.

I’m hoping this is true, since it suggests new parents are mostly OK too.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#133

Post by macintux »

jakear wrote: post #105
eps wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hold on. Has it been confirmed that recovered people do in fact develop immunity?

I think its almost certain that if it were possible to be re-infected (at least in short timescales), it would have happened by now, somewhere.

There have been reports, but it’s not to my knowledge clear whether the people who’ve tested positive after being considered recovered were experiencing something else, like a false positive before/after, or weren’t in fact fully recovered.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#134

Post by HenryBemis »

jimmcslim wrote: post #66
erentz wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason people seem to be missing for why antibody tests are very useful is it will allow us to confirm those that are now immune. We can’t get this from the RNA testing because it’s primarily being used on only symptomatic people at the time they have symptoms (and then only if they can get the test which typically means severe symptoms) But if we start to test widely for antibodies we can start to clear people f…

> I don’t know if this is something that anyone official is talking about yet, but it seems like it should be. I agree. I think this will greatly help with people's mental state, etc, plus they can help family and friends who are under quarantine. The question of how long immunity lasts, is it effective, etc is still a bit open. Also, how in a Western democracy do we distinguish (from the point of view of law enforce…

>are breaking quarantine

Happened today. Police can stopped outside our building Two policemen came out. One was holding a notepad+pen, and one was holding his cellphone. One was reading phone numbers and keeping notes, the other was dialing numbers, asking people to come out to their balconies so they see they are self-isolated and staying at their homes. Very simple and efficient way to see who stays and who runs.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#135

Post by macintux »

nroets wrote: post #91
erentz wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s not good evidence of that. There have been cases of people testing negative then positive again but that doesn’t mean they had cleared the virus and got reinfected. It more likely means they had a false negative. (E.g. I have a friend in hospital right now with COVID-19 that has had four tests, one positive, two negative, then one positive again, all tests within the space of four days.) It also can be the ca…

Wouldn't it then make sense to have camps where young, healthy adults can go to get immunity by intentionally getting infected and recover ? Then they can go back to having normal lives. The epidemiology version of a controlled burn. If someone take the gamble of intentionally getting the virus, his/her life expectancy is reduced by 3 months (a ballpark figure). If someone stay in isolation until a vaccine arrives, h…

The problem is that with such a high rate of hospitalization or even death, even for young healthy adults, that’s a risky approach.

It might be necessary at some point, however.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#136

Post by nosuchthing »

joe_the_user wrote: post #123
absherwin wrote: post #45

This is an antibody test which will only be positive days after the onset of symptoms. This is principally useful for several purposes: 1. Figuring out who to isolate in hospitals if the RNA test isn't available in sufficient quantity 2. Understanding who has already recovered from COVID-19 and is thus immune with all that implies in terms of inability to spread the disease and reduced need for PPE 3. Enabling us to…

This is an antibody test which will only be positive days after the onset of symptoms. This isn't really what your Twitter link says. That links says: "Both IgM & IgG (those are two different kinds of antibodies, with IgA being a third) were low or undetectable at day 0, but increased by day 5 in nearly all patients (N=16)" -- Reports strongly indicate there are many infected people who are asymptomatic after five da…

Turn around time is mostly due to shipping samples to outside labs, in addition to outside labs lacking automation.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#137

Post by mynegation »

nroets wrote: post #91
erentz wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s not good evidence of that. There have been cases of people testing negative then positive again but that doesn’t mean they had cleared the virus and got reinfected. It more likely means they had a false negative. (E.g. I have a friend in hospital right now with COVID-19 that has had four tests, one positive, two negative, then one positive again, all tests within the space of four days.) It also can be the ca…

Wouldn't it then make sense to have camps where young, healthy adults can go to get immunity by intentionally getting infected and recover ? Then they can go back to having normal lives. The epidemiology version of a controlled burn. If someone take the gamble of intentionally getting the virus, his/her life expectancy is reduced by 3 months (a ballpark figure). If someone stay in isolation until a vaccine arrives, h…

I am pretty sure some entertained this idea. The real problem is tail risk is huge. If a youth gets complications or dies from the virus - is the camp organizer responsible?

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#138

Post by saym »

joe_the_user wrote: post #123
absherwin wrote: post #45

This is an antibody test which will only be positive days after the onset of symptoms. This is principally useful for several purposes: 1. Figuring out who to isolate in hospitals if the RNA test isn't available in sufficient quantity 2. Understanding who has already recovered from COVID-19 and is thus immune with all that implies in terms of inability to spread the disease and reduced need for PPE 3. Enabling us to…

This is an antibody test which will only be positive days after the onset of symptoms. This isn't really what your Twitter link says. That links says: "Both IgM & IgG (those are two different kinds of antibodies, with IgA being a third) were low or undetectable at day 0, but increased by day 5 in nearly all patients (N=16)" -- Reports strongly indicate there are many infected people who are asymptomatic after five da…

Does "N=16" mean they've approved this test after such limited testing?

I think my high school stats class told me not to trust studies where N < 30.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#139

Post by classics2 »

jamespullar wrote: post #93
classics2 wrote: post #64

Not fda reviewed, they don’t even have permission to ship it yet, per their own sales page. Probably violating the master merchant agreement of every card network by selling it at this point, so proceed with caution.

It does feel odd that this links directly to the sales page instead of an FDA statement of approval. This headline should be changed. It clearly states on the site that "This test has not been reviewed by the FDA."

I’m surprised authorize.net hasn’t slammed the door on thier merchant account yet. Massive chargeback risk here.

Re: FDA just cleared a $20 Covid-19 antibody test

#140

Post by ummonk »

hedora wrote: post #132
teruakohatu wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slightly off topic question: do people who have been infected with those varieties have any sort of immunity against covid-19?

Some health professional floated the theory that kids aren’t getting it as much as the rest of the population because they’ve recently been hammered with all the coronaviruses at daycare. I’m hoping this is true, since it suggests new parents are mostly OK too.

I keep searching for animal studies on this and come up empty - all I can find is some studies on serological cross response when testing people for SARS exposure.

Vaccines are obviously the best bet, but I wonder whether deliberately exposing the healthy to common cold Coronavirus might improve herd immunity against this Coronavirus. E.g. maybe in late summer it can be used to forestall a second wave of Coronavirus spread in the winter.

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