Coronavirus

[Leroy]

So seems like a bad day to complain, but I'm gonna anyway. The county I used to hail from canceled the county fair. But they went ahead with a 'summer fest', kind of a county fair lite. Anyway, our band played Wednesday and Thursday on a side stage, and were the opening act on Saturday on the main stage.

So that means we were off Friday. We now live three hours from this town, Aberdeen, SD, so we don't see our old friends much. But we went out to dinner on Friday with my best friend, and then went back to our room. Our lead singer took the night to do Karaoke at his regular place. He mentioned on Saturday that a girl that sang a lot was coughing and sneezing and laughing about it. Our guy said he kept things as clean as possible, but how clean can you be in a packed bar with over 50 wannabe rock stars. Turns out she has the rona. I didn't spend any time really close to him, but I will get tested. I've been careful as hell and this idiot could screw that all up.

To the person that was sick, and went to the bar anyway, I hope we don't meet. And to the bar, you have to kick people out when they seem sick or you are at risk for having to shut down again. The $20 you might get in drinks from this person is nothing when you are closed. And good luck getting business back when people know you are a hot spot. And to our singer, I have told him that you can't let sick people come up and sing.

[sighyoung]

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Sorry to hear Leroy, stupid people are stupid.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Haven't had a chance to fully digest all this, but it looks like there's some promising news on the availability/approval/development of the quick saliva based testing.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-a ... lic-health

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Yale School of Public Health for its SalivaDirect COVID-19 diagnostic test, which uses a new method of processing saliva samples when testing for COVID-19 infection.

“The SalivaDirect test for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 is yet another testing innovation game changer that will reduce the demand for scarce testing resources,” said Assistant Secretary for Health and COVID-19 Testing Coordinator Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D. “Our current national expansion of COVID-19 testing is only possible because of FDA’s technical expertise and reduction of regulatory barriers, coupled with the private sector’s ability to innovate and their high motivation to answer complex challenges posed by this pandemic.”

“Providing this type of flexibility for processing saliva samples to test for COVID-19 infection is groundbreaking in terms of efficiency and avoiding shortages of crucial test components like reagents,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “Today’s authorization is another example of the FDA working with test developers to bring the most innovative technology to market in an effort to ensure access to testing for all people in America. The FDA encourages test developers to work with the agency to create innovative, effective products to help address the COVID-19 pandemic and to increase capacity and efficiency in testing.”

SalivaDirect does not require any special type of swab or collection device; a saliva sample can be collected in any sterile container. This test is also unique because it does not require a separate nucleic acid extraction step. This is significant because the extraction kits used for this step in other tests have been prone to shortages in the past.

https://news.yale.edu/2020/08/15/yales- ... horization

A saliva-based laboratory diagnostic test developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health to determine whether someone is infected with the novel coronavirus has been granted an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The method, called SalivaDirect, is being further validated as a test for asymptomatic individuals through a program that tests players and staff from the National Basketball Association (NBA). SalivaDirect is simpler, less expensive, and less invasive than the traditional method for such testing, known as nasopharyngeal (NP) swabbing. Results so far have found that SalivaDirect is highly sensitive and yields similar outcomes as NP swabbing.

With the FDA’s emergency use authorization, the testing method is immediately available to other diagnostic laboratories that want to start using the new test, which can be scaled up quickly for use across the nation — and, perhaps, beyond — in the coming weeks, the researchers said. A key component of SalivaDirect, they note, is that the method has been validated with reagents and instruments from multiple vendors. This flexibility enables continued testing if some vendors encounter supply chain issues, as experienced early in the pandemic.

[Famous Mortimer]

Wash U is asking for volunteers tomorrow to test some new system they're trialing for quick tests or something. I might go just to get out of the house.

https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/2000-vo ... liva-test/

[Fat_Bulldog]

leroy,
That sucks about your lead singer and about the girl at the bar.

[mikechamp]

We can only hope that this turns out to be true:

We now have the best evidence yet that everyone develops long-term coronavirus immunity after infection — and it's not just about antibodies

• Some early studies have suggested that coronavirus antibodies fade relatively quickly, but that doesn't mean immunity vanishes.
  
  A new study found that all people infected with COVID-19 — even those with asymptomatic or mild cases, and patients who don't have detectable antibodies — develop virus-specific T cells.
  
  T cells identify and kill infected cells, and B cells create new antibodies. Those cells can attack the virus if it ever returns.
  
  So the new finding is strong evidence that all patients likely develop long-term immunity.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/now-best-evi ... 00113.html

[GeddyWrox]

That would be outstanding news.

[cardsfantx]

I thought there were tons of instances of people catching COVID19 multiple times? How would that be true if that were the case?

[GeddyWrox]

I thought there were tons of instances of people catching COVID19 multiple times? How would that be true if that were the case?

Maybe never fully being recovered in the first place?