Coronavirus

[Houndoc]

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but my two youngest kids tested negative twice through our whole ordeal. They both showed some form of symptoms at some point the last month. I believe they were the most mild symptoms out of all 5 of us. They never isolated from us or anything the entire time the three of us were actually sick.
I believe false negatives happen. Twice to two people in one family surrounded by positive (and sick) family members? That's harder to swallow. And if they were actually negative what does that say? Makes sense that my wife and I got stick. The kid that got sick is normally furthest away from us, sleeping in the basement by herself, more school/ away time, etc. If these two kids were actually negative it just tells me the virus is NOT as spreadable as they want us to think it is.

As with all viruses and other infectious diseases, some people are more resistant to it that others and often the reasons are unclear. There are some reports with COVID that blood-type makes a difference.
Is also possible/likely some people had the infection early on and were not tested, so later tests will be negative (unless do an antibody test) and may remain unaffected when exposed to others with an active infection. My son falls into that category- has tested negative a total of 7 times, despite 2 outbreaks among his roommates, his girlfriend contracting it, and an upbreak at his work (he works in a care center.) Had possible mild symptoms early on when testing was more limited. He hasn't taken the time to get an antibody tests so we don't know if is naturally resistant or previously had it.
But I think the roughly 200,000 cases/day in the country tells us it is indeed contagious.

 

[glockman]

Good chance it still could have been from your son. False negative tests are a reality with any medical procedure, and timing of testing on a COVID case can be critical.
If he was asymptomatic (most children are) and was only tested when your wife was sick, he very likely had already cleared it out of his system and a negative test would not be a surprise.

That is a possibility, but an unlikely one as he was tested the week prior before going to a clinic appointment for his cystic fybrosis.
I've had 3 instances in my family now where one or two people in the household are positive and the rest of the people who live there have been tested at least once and have never tested positive. Either my family is superhuman or this thing isn't nearly as contagious as we were lead to believe.

 

[anderson750]

I can give you at least a dozen families I know of that have had 1 person in the house get it and nobody else has gotten it. I know a few where maybe 1 other family member got it and only 1 family where everybody got it.

 

[Spork]

There was a study back in September that said chances of catching it from another member of your household that has it is only 12%

University of Utah study: Odds of catching COVID-19 from someone at home is 12%

If someone in your household has the coronavirus, your chances of catching it are 12%.

www.ksl.com

 

[N-Smooth]

My sister's family of 5 has the 'rona. 4 of them are sick but only 2 tested positive (the other 2 tested negative).
The 5th tested positive but is completely asymptomatic. It's a magical virus I tell ya...

 

[anderson750]

There was a study back in September that said chances of catching it from another member of your household that has it is only 12%

University of Utah study: Odds of catching COVID-19 from someone at home is 12%

If someone in your household has the coronavirus, your chances of catching it are 12%.

www.ksl.com

My sister's family of 5 has the 'rona. 4 of them are sick but only 2 tested positive (the other 2 tested negative).
The 5th tested positive but is completely asymptomatic. It's a magical virus I tell ya...

Perfect examples of why nothing makes sense in any of this.

 

[Gravy]

I can give you at least a dozen families I know of that have had 1 person in the house get it and nobody else has gotten it. I know a few where maybe 1 other family member got it and only 1 family where everybody got it.

Ya my neighbor got it and none of his kids or wife did. He (self admittedly) didn't to a great job quarantining from his kids and I think he and his wife "cuddled" once.
But they did quarantine their household for 14 days and 6 more after he tested negative

 

[anderson750]

Ya my neighbor got it and none of his kids or wife did. He (self admittedly) didn't to a great job quarantining from his kids and I think he and his wife "cuddled" once.
But they did quarantine their household for 14 days and 6 more after he tested negative

A co worker of my wife was one of them. She is a PA at a medical clinic. They actually did nothing to prevent exposure while quarantined. Slept in the same bed at dinner together as a family and nobody else got it.

 

[RockChucker]

All I can say is the companies manufacturing the tests are making bank. That is a huge (albeit not permanent) market right now.

 

[Jesser04]

All I can say is the companies manufacturing the tests are making bank. That is a huge (albeit not permanent) market right now.

I think the people administering them are do pretty good also. There is a instacare next to me at work and there is always 4-5 cars in the parking lot getting tests.

 

[TRD270]

All I can say is the companies manufacturing the tests are making bank. That is a huge (albeit not permanent) market right now.

So is the transportation of said tests. My company just picked up a contract to transport from Baltimore to Miami, not sure why this route but whatever. Also doing it in what I wouldn't consider a practical plane for the job but its from the government so makes perfect sense. Starting one from Chicago to somewhere as well.

 

[anderson750]

A local clinic bought a motorhome to do mobile testing 5 days a week in different surrounding communities. There is an upstate clinic in town a couple days a week in a Mercedes Sprinter doing tests. I think it is safe to assume there is a pretty good business in doing free COVID tests

 

[Spork]

I think there are more testing sites than firework stands, I keep going by normally empty lots and parking lots and there are people in bunny suits running around. It seems demand is there, I hear if you travel to certain states you have to have a negative test, my kids school says they are quarantined for 2 weeks without a test and if they get a negative test only 10 days. Higher education has said that students have to be tested weekly --> https://ushe.edu/ushe-covid-19/

 

[Houndoc]

Perfect examples of why nothing makes sense in any of this.

I can see the confusion and frustration for the general public dealing with the pandemic and the information/misinformation out there.

A few things to remember as you try to follow what is going on:

With testing, any medical test is evaluated for two things: Sensitivity (avoiding false negatives) and specificity (avoiding false positives). An improvement in one of those areas usually comes at the sacrifice of the other. In general, if a test is in the 80-90% range on both it is considered a high quality, accurate test. I have not heard much on the specificity of the COVID tests, but most are in the 90% range on sensitivity (meaning about 10% of those with COVID will get a false negative.)

As to why some get the gets the virus and some do not, that is typical of most any infectious disease. We all have seen in family or work place a cold or flu hit some while others go about happy as a clam. i also think of my daughter while she was on her mission in the Philippines. She developed a severe case of dengue fever, while her companion and housemates, who safe to assume were exposed to the same mosquitoes, didn't.
Same with severity of disease. Off hand, rabies is the only infection I can think of that is 100% fatal for those who contract the virus (again, not everyone exposed will get it.)

None of this variation or changes in recommendations and treatments as time goes on should be seen as support of conspiracy theories or cause to distrust health care professionals. It is simply medicine.

 

[Herzog]

PCR test was not designed to be a diagnostic test. Source: Kary Mullis

 

[Houndoc]

PCR testing is very common technology for infectious disease diagnostics.

 

[Mouse]

UK started administering a vaccine yesterday. Will be interesting to follow the response and any side effects of the patients.

 

[TRD270]

UK started administering a vaccine yesterday. Will be interesting to follow the response and any side effects of the patients.

UK to refine allergy warning on Pfizer vaccine sparked by 2 adverse reactions

Britain's medicine regulator warned people with significant allergies not to get Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine after two people suffered adverse reactions, but was set to give more detailed guidance on Wednesday based on reviews of those cases.

www.ksl.com

 

[anderson750]

I can see the confusion and frustration for the general public dealing with the pandemic and the information/misinformation out there.

A few things to remember as you try to follow what is going on:

With testing, any medical test is evaluated for two things: Sensitivity (avoiding false negatives) and specificity (avoiding false positives). An improvement in one of those areas usually comes at the sacrifice of the other. In general, if a test is in the 80-90% range on both it is considered a high quality, accurate test. I have not heard much on the specificity of the COVID tests, but most are in the 90% range on sensitivity (meaning about 10% of those with COVID will get a false negative.)

As to why some get the gets the virus and some do not, that is typical of most any infectious disease. We all have seen in family or work place a cold or flu hit some while others go about happy as a clam. i also think of my daughter while she was on her mission in the Philippines. She developed a severe case of dengue fever, while her companion and housemates, who safe to assume were exposed to the same mosquitoes, didn't.
Same with severity of disease. Off hand, rabies is the only infection I can think of that is 100% fatal for those who contract the virus (again, not everyone exposed will get it.)

None of this variation or changes in recommendations and treatments as time goes on should be seen as support of conspiracy theories or cause to distrust health care professionals. It is simply medicine.

My reference to things not making sense still is focused on the response to it. I fully understand everything you have said here and if you go back a bunch of pages you will find my post where I said I believed the test probably has good sensitivity with bad specificity.

 

[Herzog]

PCR testing is very common technology for infectious disease diagnostics.

Yes, and the inventor says that was not intended or designed to do so. Odd.