Coronavirus antibody tests are still a work in progress
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus antibody tests are still a work in progress

LA Times  

After hearing for months about serious access issues involving tests that diagnose COVID-19 based on swabs from the nose or throat, Americans are being inundated with reports about promising new tests that look for signs of coronavirus infection in the blood. “You may even miss some infected people completely.” Other tests may flag people as positive for COVID-19 when they’re not infected. For another, scientists still know too little about whether antibodies to COVID-19 convey immunity that could allow people to put away masks and halt social distancing, said Dr. Mary Hayden, director of the division of clinical microbiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the city’s disease control director, warned that the tests could produce “false negative or false positive results. ” Florian Krammer, a microbiology professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York who designs such tests, tweeted — and later deleted — that the results were “BS.” “I think this is too high,” he said in a later tweet.

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History of this topic

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here’s how to get them
3 months, 1 week ago

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here’s how to get them

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Americans can once again order COVID-19 tests, without being charged, sent straight to their homes. The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and their yearly flu shot. U.S. regulators approved …

Covid making worrying comeback amid summer surge and Olympics infections, WHO official warns
5 months ago

Covid making worrying comeback amid summer surge and Olympics infections, WHO official warns

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A top official said the number of people testing positive for Covid across 84 countries …

Positive test not needed for long COVID diagnosis, experts conclude
7 months ago

Positive test not needed for long COVID diagnosis, experts conclude

LA Times  

People do not need to have tested positive for the coronavirus to be considered for a diagnosis of long COVID, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concludes. The report, produced by a committee of experts at the request of the U.S. Social Security Administration, aims to summarize what is known about long COVID, a …

Masks, social distancing back on as schools fear Covid-19 disruption
1 year ago

Masks, social distancing back on as schools fear Covid-19 disruption

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Safety precautions to combat the spread of Coronavirus are being reinforced at many educational institutions following reports of a spike in cases in Kerala and Karnataka, while five new infections in Hyderabad took the count of active cases to 14. Authorities are issuing advisories urging students and staff to practice social distancing, ensure mask discipline, avoid group gatherings, undergo …

Continue COVID-19 testing to check emergence of new virus variants: WHO chief
1 year, 4 months ago

Continue COVID-19 testing to check emergence of new virus variants: WHO chief

The Hindu  

Warning that many countries aren’t testing enough and that new SARS-CoV-2 virus variants may emerge, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, on Wednesday said that testing and being vigilant is vital in continuing the fight against COVID-19. “While COVID is now behind us and India did its best during the time, we can expect new and more …

Ramp up Covid testing to stay alert: Centre to states
1 year, 9 months ago

Ramp up Covid testing to stay alert: Centre to states

Hindustan Times  

The Union government on Saturday directed states to increase testing for Covid-19 as per the World Health Organization’s guidelines to effectively check any increase in its spread, people familiar with the matter said. “In the past several weeks, in some states Covid-19 testing has declined and the current testing levels are insufficient as compared to the standards prescribed by WHO,” …

COVID-19 tests down, need to be scaled up, says government
1 year, 9 months ago

COVID-19 tests down, need to be scaled up, says government

The Hindu  

The Health Ministry on Saturday warned that at a time when the country was registering a sustained increase in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in some States, COVID-19 testing had declined. In its advisory, the Ministry said that testing at the level of districts and blocks also varied, with some States heavily relying on the less sensitive rapid antigen tests. …

Coronavirus Today: How immune are we?
1 year, 9 months ago

Coronavirus Today: How immune are we?

LA Times  

I’m Karen Kaplan, and it’s Tuesday, March 21. This “cellular immunity,” as scientists call it, deserves the credit for preventing the worst COVID-19 outcomes, even if it doesn’t stop infections from happening in the first place. One tool employed by California’s elected officials to keep the coronavirus in check is a new state law that punishes doctors who spread misinformation …

No need for booster vaccine against coronavirus this spring, experts decide
1 year, 10 months ago

No need for booster vaccine against coronavirus this spring, experts decide

Dutch News  

Coronavirus experts have advised against another round of vaccinations this spring because there is enough immunity in the population from previous vaccines or infections. The advisers will decide later in the year whether there should be another booster round in the autumn, when the peak season for coronavirus infections begins. Doctors should still be able to prescribe a vaccine for …

No need for booster vaccine against coronavirus this spring, experts decide
1 year, 10 months ago

No need for booster vaccine against coronavirus this spring, experts decide

Dutch News  

Coronavirus experts have advised against another round of vaccinations this spring because there is enough immunity in the population from previous vaccines or infections. The advisers will decide later in the year whether there should be another booster round in the autumn, when the peak season for coronavirus infections begins. Doctors should still be able to prescribe a vaccine for …

'Coldspots' discovered in Covid virus, may help antibodies fight future variants: Study
1 year, 11 months ago

'Coldspots' discovered in Covid virus, may help antibodies fight future variants: Study

India TV News  

Scientists have discovered regions on the coronavirus which do not change, or 'coldspots', and that antibodies specific for these coldspots may help fight future coronaviruses, according to a new study. According to the study, sieving through over 10 million coronavirus sequences, two PhD students at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland and affiliated with the Università della Svizzera italiana, …

ICMR identifies biomarkers to diagnose severity, predict recovery of Covid-19
1 year, 11 months ago

ICMR identifies biomarkers to diagnose severity, predict recovery of Covid-19

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: The National Institute For Research In Reproductive and Child Health of the Indian Council of Medical Research, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, have identified biomarkers that could help diagnose the severity of Covid-19 through a blood test. In 2021, two separate studies were taken up by the institute on a small cohort of Covid positive blood samples, the results of …

New coronavirus infections fall for the first time in seven weeks
2 years, 2 months ago

New coronavirus infections fall for the first time in seven weeks

NL Times  

The number of coronavirus infections diagnosed in the Netherlands over the last seven days was 4 percent lower than the week before. A total of 22,688 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, down from 23,693 the week before, the RIVM said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the RIVM said that 677 people entered hospitals requiring treatment for Covid-19 during the last …

Repeat covid vaccinations opened to all as postive tests mount
2 years, 2 months ago

Repeat covid vaccinations opened to all as postive tests mount

Dutch News  

Everyone over the age of 12 is now being invited to sign up for another coronavirus vaccination, the health ministry has confirmed. With covid infections once again on the rise, health officials say getting the top-up jabs will help slow the spread of the virus. People aged 40 to 60 can make an appointment via website planjeprik.nl next week, while …

Repeat covid vaccinations opened to all as postive tests mount
2 years, 2 months ago

Repeat covid vaccinations opened to all as postive tests mount

Dutch News  

Everyone over the age of 12 is now being invited to sign up for another coronavirus vaccination, the health ministry has confirmed. With covid infections once again on the rise, health officials say getting the top-up jabs will help slow the spread of the virus. People aged 40 to 60 can make an appointment via website planjeprik.nl next week, while …

Blood Test Could Predict People at Risk of Long COVID: Lancet Study
2 years, 3 months ago

Blood Test Could Predict People at Risk of Long COVID: Lancet Study

News 18  

London: A blood test could predict if a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus will develop long COVID, a study published in the Lancet eBioMedicine journal suggests. The researchers said that, if these findings are repeated in a larger, independent group of patients, a test could potentially be offered alongside a polymerase chain reaction test that could predict people’s likelihood …

Concerns over accuracy of COVID rapid test results when first sick
2 years, 4 months ago

Concerns over accuracy of COVID rapid test results when first sick

LA Times  

At-home coronavirus screening has become a way of life for many Californians, but some medical experts are now cautioning that one test may not be enough to definitively determine whether someone is infected. “However, if you perform an at-home COVID-19 antigen test, you could get a false negative result.” World & Nation CDC director announces shake-up, citing COVID mistakes The …

FDA: Take 3 home tests if exposed to COVID to boost accuracy
2 years, 4 months ago

FDA: Take 3 home tests if exposed to COVID to boost accuracy

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — If you were exposed to COVID-19, take three home tests instead of two to make sure you’re not infected, according to new U.S. recommendations released Thursday. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration had advised taking two rapid antigen tests over two or three days to rule out infection. Thursday’s update reflects the evolving understanding of the accuracy of …

If exposed to the coronavirus, take 3 home tests to boost accuracy, FDA now says
2 years, 4 months ago

If exposed to the coronavirus, take 3 home tests to boost accuracy, FDA now says

LA Times  

Boxes of rapid coronavirus tests are displayed for sale at a drugstore. People screening themselves at home should use three tests to more accurately detect the virus, according to new FDA recommendations. If you were exposed to the coronavirus, take three home tests instead of two to make sure you’re not infected, according to new U.S. recommendations released Thursday. But …

You just tested yourself for COVID-19. Should you report the results to L.A. County?
2 years, 5 months ago

You just tested yourself for COVID-19. Should you report the results to L.A. County?

LA Times  

Testing more people more often could help identify outbreaks and limit their spread. But for a variety of reasons, a growing reliance on at-home rapid test kits may not help public health officials in their battle to track the pandemic. A spokeswoman said the Public Health Department “will be documenting and interviewing those that do call us with positive results.” …

Self-tests without Covid symptoms often inaccurate: study
2 years, 5 months ago

Self-tests without Covid symptoms often inaccurate: study

NL Times  

During the period when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was dominant, the accuracy of three commercially available self-tests was low for people without coronavirus symptoms. A large group of Dutch researchers examined three commercially available and often-used coronavirus self-tests from Acon Labs, MP Biomedicals, and Siemens-Healthineers on more than 3,600 people without coronavirus symptoms. They then received one of …

Flying to the US? Soon you won’t need a COVID test
2 years, 6 months ago

Flying to the US? Soon you won’t need a COVID test

Al Jazeera  

The US had required travelers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test if they were flying into the country. US President Joe Biden’s administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the US take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights, easing one of the last remaining government mandates meant to contain …

About 350 Covid-19 patients in hospitals; Only 1,400 tested daily for coronavirus
2 years, 7 months ago

About 350 Covid-19 patients in hospitals; Only 1,400 tested daily for coronavirus

NL Times  

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 354 patients with Covid-19 on Monday. That was 21 percent lower than a week earlier, when 447 people were receiving treatment for the disease, figures from the LCPS showed. The RIVM said on Tuesday that 7,088 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus during the preceding seven days. The GGD found 619 people who …

Pandemic gets tougher to track as COVID testing plunges
2 years, 7 months ago

Pandemic gets tougher to track as COVID testing plunges

LA Times  

Testing for coronavirus infections has plummeted across the globe, making it much tougher for scientists to track the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and spot new, worrisome viral variants as they emerge and spread. “We’re not testing anywhere near where we might need to,” said Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, who directs the Global Health Innovation Center at Duke University. At a …

Covid positivity rate drops below 60% as infections, hospital cases fall
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid positivity rate drops below 60% as infections, hospital cases fall

NL Times  

For the first time in two months, fewer than 60 percent of those tested for the coronavirus infection during the last calendar week received a positive diagnosis. Last week, just 41,359 people were tested for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus by the GGD, or less than 6,000 per day. The number of infections was 63 percent lower compared to the previous week, …

COVID-19 testing in 30 seconds, hand-held apparatus gives 90% accurate results
2 years, 9 months ago

COVID-19 testing in 30 seconds, hand-held apparatus gives 90% accurate results

India TV News  

Highlights The test results from the newly developed device is as accurate as PCR The new device has been developed by researchers in USA and awaits approval The hand-held apparatus is powered by a 9-volt battery and uses an inexpensive test strip A team of researchers has helped develop a Covid-19 testing device that can detect coronavirus infection in as …

Saliva testing for Covid-19 quicker, safer than nasal swabs: Study
2 years, 9 months ago

Saliva testing for Covid-19 quicker, safer than nasal swabs: Study

Hindustan Times  

According to a study led by the American Society for Microbiology, saliva samples can identify Covid-19 more quickly than testing with nasal swabs. The findings have implications for improving public acceptance of Covid-19 testing, reducing the cost of mass Covid-19 screening and improving the safety of healthcare workers who conduct testing. "That made us wonder whether saliva was better for …

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection
2 years, 9 months ago

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection

China Daily  

An employee counts disposable swabs while packaging COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits in Hong Kong, South China, on March 3, 2022. In two separate notices, issued on Friday and Saturday, the National Medical Products Administration allowed five companies－Beijing Savant Biotechnology, Nanjing Vazyme Biotech, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Beijing Jinwofu Bioengineering Technology and Shenzhen-based BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology－to revise its COVID-19 antigen …

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection
2 years, 9 months ago

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection

China Daily  

An employee counts disposable swabs while packaging COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits in Hong Kong, South China, on March 3, 2022. In two separate notices, issued on Friday and Saturday, the National Medical Products Administration allowed five companies－Beijing Savant Biotechnology, Nanjing Vazyme Biotech, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Beijing Jinwofu Bioengineering Technology and Shenzhen-based BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology－to revise its COVID-19 antigen …

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection
2 years, 9 months ago

Self-test kits OK'd for earlier detection

China Daily  

An employee counts disposable swabs while packaging COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits in Hong Kong, South China, on March 3, 2022. In two separate notices, issued on Friday and Saturday, the National Medical Products Administration allowed five companies－Beijing Savant Biotechnology, Nanjing Vazyme Biotech, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Beijing Jinwofu Bioengineering Technology and Shenzhen-based BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology－to revise its COVID-19 antigen …

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice
2 years, 9 months ago

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice

LA Times  

A woman is tested for a coronavirus infection at the Lenasia South Hospital near Johannesburg in South Africa. The advice comes months after critics said the lack of recommendations from the global health agency was compromising efforts to stop the pandemic in poor countries. At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was concerned …

What Are The Chances Your Kid Already Had COVID And You Just Didn't Know It?
2 years, 10 months ago

What Are The Chances Your Kid Already Had COVID And You Just Didn't Know It?

Huff Post  

JulPo via Getty Images Millions of people in this country have likely had COVID without knowing it, according to CDC data. When I got a breakthrough COVID infection in December at the height of the omicron surge in New York City, I was certain I’d pass it on to my two young kids. While using antibody tests to get a …

Coronavirus updates March 04, 2022
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus updates March 04, 2022

The Hindu  

In 2022, 92% of COVID deaths have been in unvaccinated individuals, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Dr. Balram Bhargava said on Thursday. Here are the latest updates Study Third Covid vaccine dose advised for immunocompromised people: study A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people with a weakened immune system, especially for organ …

Posts mislead on PCR test development
2 years, 10 months ago

Posts mislead on PCR test development

Associated Press  

CLAIM: COVID-19 PCR tests weren’t developed using samples of the coronavirus and instead detect “something else.” AP’S ASSESSMENT: Partly false. THE FACTS: Misleading posts circulating widely online in recent days are using technical documents from one COVID-19 PCR test to falsely claim that such tests don’t actually detect the coronavirus – with some users going so far as to suggest …

Rapid COVID-19 home tests surge in India, experts flag risks
2 years, 10 months ago

Rapid COVID-19 home tests surge in India, experts flag risks

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — On New Year’s Eve, the Indian government wrote to states encouraging them to promote the use of COVID-19 home tests, especially for people who are experiencing symptoms, in a bid to avoid straining local health systems. “If I had to guess, maybe only 20% of people using home tests are reporting it,” said K Srinath Reddy, president …

Sweden ends coronavirus testing along with all pandemic restrictions
2 years, 11 months ago

Sweden ends coronavirus testing along with all pandemic restrictions

LA Times  

Sweden has halted wide-scale testing for the coronavirus even among people showing COVID-19 symptoms, putting an end to the pop-up tents, drive-in swab centers and home-delivered tests that became ubiquitous during the pandemic and provided essential data for tracking its spread. Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School in England, said that with a …

More than 500,000 positive corona tests in last week, more cases in hospital
2 years, 11 months ago

More than 500,000 positive corona tests in last week, more cases in hospital

Dutch News  

More than half a million people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last week, with positive tests now accounting for more than half the total. The RIVM’s latest weekly update also showed the number of patients admitted to hospital was at its highest level for four weeks, while intensive care admissions increased for the first time since November. In the …

More than 500,000 positive corona tests in last week, more cases in hospital
2 years, 11 months ago

More than 500,000 positive corona tests in last week, more cases in hospital

Dutch News  

More than half a million people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last week, with positive tests now accounting for more than half the total. The RIVM’s latest weekly update also showed the number of patients admitted to hospital was at its highest level for four weeks, while intensive care admissions increased for the first time since November. In the …

Dozens of viruses aren’t causing positive COVID-19 tests
2 years, 11 months ago

Dozens of viruses aren’t causing positive COVID-19 tests

Associated Press  

CLAIM: COVID-19 PCR test instructions show a “list of the viruses that can cause a PCR test to give false positives.” AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. THE FACTS: Recent social media posts are sharing a list of viruses and other pathogens they wrongly claim can trigger false positive COVID-19 results on PCR tests. But some posts do also include a screenshot from …

Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate and how scientists hope to improve them
2 years, 11 months ago

Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate and how scientists hope to improve them

NPR  

Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate and how scientists hope to improve them Enlarge this image toggle caption Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images How much should you trust the results of a rapid antigen test? Sponsor Message That finding prompted the Food and Drug Administration to update its online guidance in late December to …

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh tested positive for Covid-19
2 years, 11 months ago

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh tested positive for Covid-19

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. In addition to the defence minister, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Karnataka counterpart Basavaraj Bommai and BJP president J.P. Nadda also tested positive. I request everyone who have recently come in my contact to isolate themselves and get tested.” Bihar Chief Minister’s office announced, “Chief …

Contacts of confirmed Covid cases need not be tested unless 'high-risk': Govt advisory
2 years, 11 months ago

Contacts of confirmed Covid cases need not be tested unless 'high-risk': Govt advisory

India Today  

Contacts of those who are found positive for Covid-19 need not be tested unless they fall in the "high-risk" category, says a new government advisory. "People who need not be tested: Contacts of confirmed cases of Covid unless identified as high risk based on age or comorbidities and individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel," read the ICMR Advisory on Purposive Testing …

Queenslanders wanting COVID-19 test to 'do the right thing' or return to work left frustrated and confused
3 years ago

Queenslanders wanting COVID-19 test to 'do the right thing' or return to work left frustrated and confused

ABC  

Queensland's COVID-19 testing clinics are so overwhelmed, many people are being turned away without getting swabbed, while others are going to extreme lengths to get tested to protect family members, satisfy work and childcare requirements, or to have elective surgery. Key points: You should get a rapid antigen test if you need to leave home quarantine or have been around …

An ‘awful’ month of Covid-19 lies ahead, doctor says, but preventative measures will still be key
3 years ago

An ‘awful’ month of Covid-19 lies ahead, doctor says, but preventative measures will still be key

CNN  

CNN — While the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to drive up Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations – and the numbers are likely to get worse before they get better – health experts say it’s critical Americans continue safe practices to prevent infections. An ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Wednesday predicts that more than …

Victorian COVID-19 rules tighten with density limits and mandatory rapid test reporting
3 years ago

Victorian COVID-19 rules tighten with density limits and mandatory rapid test reporting

ABC  

Density limits will be reintroduced in Victoria from 11:59pm and it will become mandatory to report positive rapid antigen test results to the health department, in response to the state's surging Omicron outbreak. Key points: From Friday, Victorians must register their positive at-home RAT results on a government portal Health Minister Martin Foley said about one in 50 Victorians currently …

When is the best time to get tested after Covid exposure?
3 years ago

When is the best time to get tested after Covid exposure?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Since the emergence of the new Omicron variant, government guidance has …

Covid-19: Can at-home tests detect Omicron? Here's what experts are saying
3 years ago

Covid-19: Can at-home tests detect Omicron? Here's what experts are saying

Hindustan Times  

Amid rising concerns over the new, highly transmissible Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the need for coronavirus disease testing is at an all-time high right now. Preliminary research indicates that Omicron may still be a bit harder to detect through at-home Covid-19 than the other variants of the coronavirus. According to Emily Volk, the president of the College of American Pathologists, …

Self testing kits do detect Omicron, Dutch health institute says
3 years ago

Self testing kits do detect Omicron, Dutch health institute says

Dutch News  

Dutch public health institute RIVM has carried out experiments with coronavirus self testing kits and did not find a difference in the ability to detect Delta and Omicron variants of the virus, broadcaster NOS said on Wednesday. The FDA said in a statement that antigen tests ‘do detect the Omicron variant, but may have reduced sensitivity,’ which means the tests …

Self testing kits do detect Omicron, Dutch health institute says
3 years ago

Self testing kits do detect Omicron, Dutch health institute says

Dutch News  

Dutch public health institute RIVM has carried out experiments with coronavirus self testing kits and did not find a difference in the ability to detect Delta and Omicron variants of the virus, broadcaster NOS said on Wednesday. The FDA said in a statement that antigen tests ‘do detect the Omicron variant, but may have reduced sensitivity,’ which means the tests …

Rapid Covid tests not as accurate with Omicron: US regulator
3 years ago

Rapid Covid tests not as accurate with Omicron: US regulator

Raw Story  

Rapid Covid home tests are more likely to give a false negative with the heavily-mutated Omicron variant compared to earlier strains, the US Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. In a statement, the FDA said it was collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to study the performance of home tests, also known as "antigen" tests, against patient samples containing …

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