RE: Backing up Mologic Using ODX and Not AVCT30 Aug 2020 11:49
From
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1808/rr-22
False positives are a huge problem at low Prevalence, at the moment.
Still, I am a bit concerned about this comment in the rapid response:
"Large volume screening at a time of low prevalence has the potential to do more harm than good and some of these strategies should be temporarily suspended." That may, perhaps, be true, now, but things have to be done to make it no longer true.
It looks to me as if there is a need for multiple tests on each individual who tests positive, a bit like the Swansea people did in their investigation, including Antibody tests, to see if someone has recovered from Covid-19 but still has some residual traces, and multiple Antigen tests looking for different targets.
If Affimers can be easily engineered to look at different targets using a Lateral Flow test this should be done.
False negatives were a problem for the Swansea people and more generally. Doctors are frequently doing repeated tests on the same individual because they strongly suspect False Negative.
The Chinese, I recall from months ago, also looked for evidence from lung X-Ray as part of the diagnostic process. Perhaps people in the West should learn from this?
In conclusion, multiple tests that are as independent from each other as possible are possibly required. Obviously srarting with Awacta's!
Test, test, test