The World Health Organisation ha announced

[said]

On the day of Biden's inauguration to President in the States, The World Health Organisation has announced important news about the Covid tests which appears to confirm a statement I made months ago on this site that was denounced as 'misinformation'.

"WHO guidance Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 states that careful interpretation of weak positive results is needed (1). The cycle threshold (Ct) needed to detect virus is inversely proportional to the patient’s viral load. Where test results do not correspond with the clinical presentation, a new specimen should be taken and retested using the same or different NAT technology.

WHO reminds IVD users that disease prevalence alters the predictive value of test results; as disease prevalence decreases, the risk of false positive increases (2). This means that the probability that a person who has a positive result (SARS-CoV-2 detected) is truly infected with SARS-CoV-2 decreases as prevalence decreases, irrespective of the claimed specificity.

Most PCR assays are indicated as an aid for diagnosis, therefore, health care providers must consider any result in combination with timing of sampling, specimen type, assay specifics, clinical observations, patient history, confirmed status of any contacts, and epidemiological information."

TO CLARIFY; Those requiring a test for Covid, will need to have two separate tests at least, along with a clinical decision before an accurate diagnosis can be made because the tests have been diagnosing a significant number of false positives.

Explaining this further, this means that a huge number of stated new cases of Covid have been falsely identified, leading to greatly inflated numbers in the media and a number of people self isolating when they did not have to. Please remember that the general public consists of several trained and experienced independent professionals, these people are by the huge majority not all funneled onto your television sets. (Mount Etna erupted recently - but that has not been announced on the BBC so it must be fake news or misinformation??)

The WHO announcement 'just happened' to coincide with the American presidency. Another way of looking at that - Trump leaves his office during a time of a very high number of cases of Covid (be it inflated) but soon after Biden is appointed, the number of cases decreases favourably. Or is that just too critical of me to say?

[joan ofarc]

Nobody (well maybe a few idiots) would ascribe any responsibility for covid case umbers, higher or lower, to a presidency less than 24 hours old. No doubt the covid deniers will jump on anything that 'proves' that there hasn't been a pandemic. The most important number is hospitalizations. because they have tested positive and are ill.

[said]

Nobody (well maybe a few idiots) would ascribe any responsibility for covid case umbers, higher or lower, to a presidency less than 24 hours old. No doubt the covid deniers will jump on anything that 'proves' that there hasn't been a pandemic. The most important number is hospitalizations. because they have tested positive and are ill.

Fair enough! Hospitalisations?? Are you referring to those figures published in the indepth medical knowledge daily newspapers/television? Or are you referring to the official figures published by the NHS? There is a massive difference, you know.

People are not hospitalised for Covid. They are in hospital because they are ill and then have tested positive for covid, which in the light of the WHO report may cause anyone some doubt.

[joan ofarc]

Fair enough! Hospitalisations?? Are you referring to those figures published in the indepth medical knowledge daily newspapers/television? Or are you referring to the official figures published by the NHS? There is a massive difference, you know.

People are not hospitalised for Covid. They are in hospital because they are ill and then have tested positive for covid, which in the light of the WHO report may cause anyone some doubt.

There's no distinction between the two.... people go to hospital presenting with covid symptoms then they get tested to confirm the diagnosis. There are plenty of people isolating or quarantining at home because they suspect they have covid or have tested positive. There could be false positives there or equally false negatives. People who go to hospital or are sent have a pretty good idea what they have then it is confirmed. They don't say, oh I have a terrible pain where my appendix is, maybe it's covid. If they went to hospital they wouldn't be diagnosed with covid. If they are sent with severe breathing difficulties and other symptoms of the disease then they are tested or a doctor diagnoses covid. Are you implying that getting the test gives you Covid? Cos I have to say, the fool that started that c@p has just been booted out of the White House.

[silver fox]

Fair enough! Hospitalisations?? Are you referring to those figures published in the indepth medical knowledge daily newspapers/television? Or are you referring to the official figures published by the NHS? There is a massive difference, you know.

People are not hospitalised for Covid. They are in hospital because they are ill and then have tested positive for covid, which in the light of the WHO report may cause anyone some doubt.

Of course not, it’s all grossly inflated, our hospital staff are not running on empty, all those unfortunate souls who are only clinging on thanks to ventilators and those who sadly don’t recover, more and more people suffering long term even permanent illness after “recovery”, of course the whole thing is blown out of proportion,

The entire world is battling this pandemic, but yet again in your view it’s all a minor problem, a problem which would be barely noticed apart from media reporting.

Suggesting a change in anything due to a change in Presidency at this stage borders on pathetic, there is no doubt that EX President Trump was a denier and failed to tackle the pandemic with any degree of urgency, Biden has already prioritised tackling the pandemic, but you are already trying to belittle any progress with your assertion that changes in testing regimes will show improvements in any case, rather than due to change in policy.

[sandGroundZero]

Out of interest and for the sake of completeness, perhaps you could link to those months old statements which you believed were denounced as 'misinformation'.

The link in your post itself links to Interim guidance titled Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 dated 11 September 2020; i.e. a technical update on previous similar documents.

…TO CLARIFY; Those requiring a test for Covid, will need to have two separate tests at least, along with a clinical decision before an accurate diagnosis can be made because the tests have been diagnosing a significant number of false positives.
Explaining this further, this means that a huge number of stated new cases of Covid have been falsely identified, leading to greatly inflated numbers in the media and a number of people self isolating when they did not have to.

Tracking and limiting the spread of a virus is a statistical exercise and the measures to contain it are aimed at the population as a whole.
Bio-medical tests do tend to show significant numbers of false positives as well as false negatives. Do you imagine that modellers of the potential impact did not properly account for false positives in the testing regime?

[Lorquinho]

"On the day of Biden's inauguration to President in the States, The World Health Organisation has announced important news about the Covid tests which appears to confirm a statement I made months ago on this site that was denounced as 'misinformation'."

Where?

[local]

Come on Prof you know that you can get false negatives as well especially when you have only recently been infected.

Buck up this is schoolboy science.

[said]

Of course not, it’s all grossly inflated, our hospital staff are not running on empty, all those unfortunate souls who are only clinging on thanks to ventilators and those who sadly don’t recover, more and more people suffering long term even permanent illness after “recovery”, of course the whole thing is blown out of proportion,

The entire world is battling this pandemic, but yet again in your view it’s all a minor problem, a problem which would be barely noticed apart from media reporting.

Suggesting a change in anything due to a change in Presidency at this stage borders on pathetic, there is no doubt that EX President Trump was a denier and failed to tackle the pandemic with any degree of urgency, Biden has already prioritised tackling the pandemic, but you are already trying to belittle any progress with your assertion that changes in testing regimes will show improvements in any case, rather than due to change in policy.

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4916

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n149

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....apid-responses

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....e2=tf_ipsecsha


If you haven't figured it out by now, even after reading the above - you never will. No-one to my knowledge is denying Covid - but even you must have questioned how an annual influenza which has been going for decades, suddenly trickles to very low numbers when this 'new' virus comes along.

[silver fox]

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4916

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n149

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....apid-responses

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....e2=tf_ipsecsha


If you haven't figured it out by now, even after reading the above - you never will. No-one to my knowledge is denying Covid - but even you must have questioned how an annual influenza which has been going for decades, suddenly trickles to very low numbers when this 'new' virus comes along.

Simple, flu has declined because people aren’t mingling anywhere like usual, you can whinge and whine as much as you wish, I think we are all aware that the testing programme is not 100% accurate and certainly the false sense of security can be created, however the numbers in hospital, so many in ICU, these aren’t false positives nor false negatives, these are all people extremely ill due to the effects of COVID.

When it comes to denial, your record is far from clean, facts which you can’t change, the virus is highly contagious, can lead to serious illness and death, many of those who “recover” are combating long term possibly permanent illness, in many cases serious disability.

Simply do not understand your constant wish to minimise the pandemic, your constant chirping that the pandemic is not as serious as the media tell us, this is the same approach Trump adopted, to get cases down, just test less, that’s the approach of the Mad Hatter.

More or less testing doesn’t change the numbers of those ill or dying, but testing must give an indication of the progress of the virus.

[sandGroundZero]

post #10:

Simply do not understand your constant wish to minimise the pandemic, your constant chirping that the pandemic is not as serious as the media tell us, …

1. perennial contrarian;
2. adamant that media NOT curated by said her/himself is almost certainly false;
3. strikes a position and never backs away?

[local]

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4916

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n149

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....apid-responses

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj....e2=tf_ipsecsha


If you haven't figured it out by now, even after reading the above - you never will. No-one to my knowledge is denying Covid - but even you must have questioned how an annual influenza which has been going for decades, suddenly trickles to very low numbers when this 'new' virus comes along.

I don't think you understand the articles you have linked to support your "argument" do the opposite .

The BMJ you cite have an opposite view to you.

You clearly don't understand the science.

Is there anyone where you live who could help you go through it, not understanding could mean you are putting yourself and others at risk
Do you have a social worker ?

[said]

post #10:

1. perennial contrarian;
2. adamant that media NOT curated by said her/himself is almost certainly false;
3. strikes a position and never backs away?

Just another rose by any other name - heretic, conscientious objector, conspiracy theorist, sceptic, critic, whatever..................though (b) + (c) are wrong - I believe the media when it checks out i.e can be verified by a number of sources. Being a transvestite, I can be a he or a her, whatever anyone wants to choose on the day. If I m genuinely proved wrong - then I will apologise and change my views - common sense really.

[said]

I don't think you understand the articles you have linked to support your "argument" do the opposite .

The BMJ you cite have an opposite view to you.

You clearly don't understand the science.

Is there anyone where you live who could help you go through it, not understanding could mean you are putting yourself and others at risk
Do you have a social worker ?

Cheeky runt! Care in the community you mean? No, I don't have a care (worker) but you can come and tuck me up in bed if you want to.

[sandGroundZero]

post # 13:

Just another rose by any other name …

…blagueur; sh¡t disturber …