Our latest Investing Matters Podcast episode with QuotedData's Edward Marten has just been released. Listen here.
Personally, it reads like a defence of PCR and an attack on ALL LFDs:
The justification for using LFD devices is that they are rapid, cheap and can produce a result in around 30 minutes whilst bypassing the requirements for rigorous laboratory standards. Our streamlined laboratory PCR procedure is able to produce results in as little as 90 minutes from sample receipt without the need for formal nucleic acid extraction allowing us to offer same day results and our laboratory has been able to upscale to a capacity of 4000 tests a day. Whilst the cost of an individual LFD device is relatively low, the actual costs to the UK tax-payers are much larger. A recent audit found that of the 691 million test kits distributed, results had only been reported from 96 million (14%)21. There is no evidence of any cost-benefit analysis for LFD testing in the UK.
My six year old is positive. We took her for the confirmatory PCR on Saturday and my wife took the phone call on Sunday. The nice man said that the call would take about twenty minutes, so daughter came and told me that wifey was not to be disturbed as she was on the phone to Jack and Tracey.
"Who was Jack and Tracey?" I asked when the call ended.
Track and Trace.
Anyhoo, not I've not posted for a while (you may have neither noticed, nor cared) but I haven't sold up, I'm still all in. It is just that the research is pretty much done and all we're doing is waiting for the smoke to go up (hence today I post as there were a couple of RNS alerts in my inbox), and I can't be bothered with people posting crap wasting my time. Irony?
And we thought ours was coming shortly.
Nine months ago Oxford released all the same details as the Mail have just picked up on:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-12-11-ai-test-rules-out-covid-19-diagnosis-within-one-hour-emergency-departments
In case you can't be bothered to read the Mail's rubbish, here's the highlights:
"A new Covid test said to be better than a lateral flow ... and it doesn't require a painful swab...
All that is required from a patient is a routine blood test, which is already collected for virtually everyone admitted to hospital...
the new test could give a diagnosis in just 10 minutes — compared to the half an hour it takes on average for a lateral flow.
In emergency departments CURIAL-Rapide produced results in 45 minutes by the time a sample was taken and processed.
This was quicker than the hour it took for lateral flows"
And here's me reading about the lack of vials for collecting bloods.
How many holes can you pick in this marvellous bit of journalism?
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/covid-test-that-doesn-t-use-painful-swabs-better-than-lateral-flows/ar-AANZbLx?ocid=entnewsntp
Surely if it weren't for that last bit, we'd be ruled out automatically since "4. The lateral flow device must be specific for nucleocapsid antigens." What with ours being spike - all is not good.
You could also argue that Innova has several "an unforeseen advantage[s]" 1. incumbent supplier 2. mass production 3. brown envelopes (perhaps more unseen than unforeseen)
My 81 year old mother visited today and point blank refused to test as the last time she did a brain tickler her nose bled (and she claims that she didn't shove). Anyhoo, after seeing my sister do a blessed AffiDX, she relented and reported that it was perfectly acceptable.
Why aren't people buying?
MrA: I don't think so, I placed my order early and the nice man said that I was one of the first and yet mine is only coming tomorrow. You'd think if there was a trickle of supply, they'd ship them out in the order they were ordered.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/fully-vaccinated-people-have-just-one-in-26-chance-of-catching-covid-from-infected-contact/ar-AAMUEam?ocid=entnewsntp
"The study found that it took more rounds of PCR testing to detect coronavirus in vaccinated people than unvaccinated individuals – 27 cycles versus 23 – suggesting that there was less virus present in the fully jabbed."
Anyone know of a test that reliably detects patients up to ct=27?
Not that anyone is interested, but mine was from Emma in the sales department.
It either means Calibre is a bunch of idiots (which is doubtful) or the E mail shared on Twitter t'other day saying they took deliver last Friday and are already all allocated was a load of boswellox - what kind of distribution company would take deliver of goods and not be able to ship until mid-week the following week?
Sorry for the laziness, but does anyone have a link to the government's planned minimum sensitivity required to pass through their new validation process - the one that Innova will get a temporary free pass?
What with the answer (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-07-14/33284) stating that they already know Innova is only high seventies then what is the point of wasting PD's time trying to pass it?
I feel a (pointless) letter to my MP demanding that they don't buy a massive stockpile that'll need using up before they bring in the new rules.
Hopefully you'll accept this joke as payment for your help...
"We never had a TV in the family when I was younger," said my granddad.
"Well, you have now gramps," I said as I adjusted my dress.