Rapid Antigen - are they useless, may be
In Delhi, out of 7.45 lakh rapid antigen tests (RAT) between June 18-Aug 27, 6054 samples (0.81%) were retested through RT-PCR. 699 (11.54%) such samples tested positive. Retests of all symptomatic -ve RAT cases are mandatory, at least on paper.
4300+ in Delhi yesterday. People of Delhi have forgotten masking and social distancing and staying home and unless Govt reminds them each week every day. It will be out of hand situation.
www.sawansociety.com. On Fri, 11 Sep 2020, 12:19 Seema Mehra, wrote: >
Sep 11
There have been many testimonials shared in social media where people who were assymptomatic were advised by Private Hospitals to immediately get admitted and deposit for treatment (advance) varied from 1.5 lac to 2.5 lacs. On second opinion when testing done in Government facilities, the test result returned as Negative. So the data which is being thrown around which Ms.Mehra flaunts Daily is very much in doubt. Having said that, I do agree with her that people have become careless and resigned perhaps to the reality of co-existence with COVID and have thrown caution to the winds. Yes, Delhi has stepped up its Testing and this has resulted in Active Cases being detected faster on daily basis and the fact that the near empty Covid Hospitals are now filling up is proof of a Government which is working.....a system which is in place. Compare this to the last 3 days of 90, 94 & 95.5 thousand cases National figures. It goes to prove the point that the spread of the virus is due to negligent attitude of people.
Sep 11
Your Coronavirus Test Is Positive. Maybe It Shouldn’t Be. https://nyti.ms/31DJixp "But for the outbreaks raging now, he said, what’s needed are coronavirus tests that are fast, cheap and abundant enough to frequently test everyone who needs it — even if the tests are less sensitive." "Highly sensitive PCR tests seemed like the best option for tracking the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic. But for the outbreaks raging now, he said, what’s needed are coronavirus tests that are fast, cheap and abundant enough to frequently test everyone who needs it — even if the tests are less sensitive." “It might not catch every last one of the transmitting people, but it sure will catch the most transmissible people, including the superspreaders,” Dr. Mina said. “That alone would drive epidemics practically to zero.”
Sep 11
Please note: Fast, Less Accurate Coronavirus Tests may be required in a fast spreading stage of the disease, rather than RT-PCR. *Fast, Less Accurate Coronavirus Tests May Ease the U.S. Backlog, Experts Say* https://nyti.ms/3fA2tMg "For months, the call for coronavirus testing has been led by one resounding refrain: To keep outbreaks under control, doctors and researchers need to deploy the most accurate tests available — ones reliable enough to root out as many infections as possible, even in the absence of symptoms. That’s long been the dogma of infectious disease diagnostics, experts say, since it helps ensure that cases won’t be missed. *During this pandemic, that has meant relying heavily on PCR testing, an extremely accurate but time- and labor-intensive method that requires samples to be processed at laboratories.* *But as the virus continues its rampage across the country and tests remain in short supply in many regions, researchers and public health experts have grown increasingly vocal about revising this long-held credo. The best chance to rein in the sprawling outbreaks in the United States now, experts say, requires widespread adoption of less accurate tests, as long as they’re administered quickly and often enough."*
Sep 11