Posted on 03/30/2020 7:18:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
While it might be impossible to figure out who is going to become sick with novel coronavirus, some public health experts believe the more critical question may be who has already been exposed.
In Telluride, Colorado, last week, one biotech company put that idea to work.
United Biomedical is now working with San Miguel County, which includes the famous Rocky Mountain ski destination, to test all 8,000 residents for COVID-19 antibodies -- making it the first community in the country to do widespread antibody testing. The idea, officials said, is to learn from an individual’s blood whether there is evidence the person has already been exposed. With that information, officials can then make decisions about whether quarantines and restrictions would need to continue and whether they need to be as widespread as they are in states and cities across the country right now.
"The goal of this is to show you can predictably get an entire county back to its new normal as quickly as possible by using testing," said Lou Reese, co-CEO of United Biomedical and its COVAXX subsidiary.
Reese stressed that, if successful, the testing program could be expanded, "starting at the hot-spot areas right now to solve this problem, stop the panic and get people to their lives and back to work."
The science behind the testing concept is not complicated. Every person who contracts the coronavirus will develop antibodies in their blood, usually within 10 days, even if the individual has such a mild case that there are no symptoms. Antibodies are proteins that help the body fight off an intruding virus -- but they’re also unmistakable forensic evidence of where the virus has been.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Gee might be something the CDC might like to look into, but they’re too busy with Climate Change.
The town is Veneto, Italy. They tested 6800 people, as of that article.
What if you don’t want to be tested?
They were doing what was called “Sentinel” testing in Singapore.
EVERY visit to a healthcare professional was required to take a test. The test result data was sent to a central facility where they were able to use the anonymous data to chart where the positives were coming from. When an area tested positive for the first time, the local health officials were notified and contract tracing could begin.
That is how its done. But, damn...I cannot imagine that happening in the US.
Anyone who can prove immunity should be given a certificate exempting them from the “cower in place” rules and from any income tax.
Vó is the town.
RE: a certificate exempting them from the “cower in place” rules and from any income tax.
Why income tax?
Thnaks for the link.
Here is a rough Google Translation (forgive the awkward English ):
(ANSA) - VENICE, FEBRUARY 28 - After the first two cases of contagion in Vo ‘”I made a request to swab all citizens. It seemed like a waste.
Now we have an exceptional epidemiological study that nobody has in the world and, with the University of Padua, we want a scientific investigation of this case “. This was announced by the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia.
“We have been criticized for making too many champions - adds Zaia -, we made 6,800 of them with a positivity of 1.7%. Now we have a great champion that nobody has in the world.
Nobody has an enclave with the first two infected, the infected positives, the asymptomatic that becomes negative “. “In this moment in Veneto we have a situation absolutely under control. There are 133 cases of contagion, a hundred we consider them asymptomatic” he added.
As for the re-opening of schools, Zaia said that “the decision of the Higher Institute of Health will arrive today”.
The idea is to allow people to get back to work, and to reward people who do so. At this point the whole country is on welfare, and no one is even allowed to work.
Sir Bangaz Cracka wrote:
How’s about getting the old normal back, please. Thank you.
Sorry SBC, but just like on 9/12, we’re never going back to 9/10. It’s just the way things are now.
At least now Gen Z, or whatever will have their 9/11/01, that Space Shuttle Challenger moment, the Kennedy assassination, and the Pearl Harbor attack, that moment where everyone knows where they were when the world changed.
Crazy how it happens about every ~20 years.
So frustrating. This is news? it is only news that someone finally realized that testing, tracking and quarantine of those positive is the only way to contain.
We have been lied to because of failures by CDC and others.
Bump!
Ping!
For your interest.
Well that sort of worked because they found 3% positives which means they had 2% true positives and 1% false positives. Here in rural Virginia the same test would deliver 1% false positives and 0.001% true positives. A lot of people would be isolated for no reason.
“back to it’s new normal” doesn’t make any sense.
Essential workers are allowed to work.
Let me consider my family.
Before the shelter in place:
70 percent working
After shelter in place:
60 percent working. Some from home and some for less money.
In Washington State, about 93% who die from it are 60+ years old.
I have not had the flu for probably 25 years, but in February I had achy muscles, a fever, and short-lived uncontrollable shaking from chills. Went straight to bed. Next morning, felt totally normal. Weird. But since flu would have hit me harder, I figure I might have had Covid-19. Would like to get the antibody test soon.
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