Covid Testing Questions ...Sorry

[johnny.5]

does the test tell you if you have had the virus ?
does the test tell you you are no longer contagious ?
can the test detect if you are immune ?

[jno]

this might help

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238477-how-does-coronavirus-testing-work-and-will-we-have-a-home-test-soon/

[237SJ]

I don`t think so. I think they only have antigen tests, not antibody tests. I expect someone will come up with a link to clarify that

[johnny.5]

thanks jno that did help a little

but the real question I was wanting answering is

If you have a natural immunity and your body has fought off the virus without getting infected will any test be able to pick that up ?

[nailit]

I know of a family of five (same household) Two have tested positive, other three havnt.
WHY?
What the hell is this social distancing about then?

[woofgang]

johnny that's isn't possible according to what I know. Generally if you have got immunity its because you have got antibodies made by your immune system....you can't be naturally immune to something without having encountered it and made antibodies.

[Buenchico]

There are two different types of test.

An antigen test looks to see whether you currently have the virus. (Those are the ones currently being offered to NHS staff who're experiencing possible symptoms of the disease).

An antibody test looks to see if your body has alredy reacted to having the disease. If you've had a very mild dose of Covid-19, and your body has fought it off (possibly with you thinking of it as nothing more than 'a nasty cold'), there will indeed be antibodies showing up in any any relevant test but that does NOT prove that you'll be immune to a second (and possibly much more severe) infection:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52425825

[woofgang]

nailit this is kind of an educated guess but maybe the ones who never tested positive caught the virus but were asymptomatic....therefore they have had it but so mildly that they did not notice... If they haven't got it any more then an antigen test will say "you haven't got it" but not pick up that they have got antibodies....we need PP really.

[Togo]

That is a big question Johnny. First thing is whether the test used was genomic detection-based (molecular) or immunoglobulin detection-based (serology).

https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_the_covid-19_coronavirus_tests_work/article.htm

[pixie374]

I don't know, woof. PP has been claiming recently that cancer treatment doesn't affect survival rates and that people won't be told their life expectancy, if they want to know. Your posts are more credible.

[johnny.5]

so is it a bit like chicken pox ?

I had it as a child then again in my twenties but was told I would always carry the infection and it might even return as shingles

[Peter Pedant]

// PP has been claiming recently that cancer treatment doesn't affect survival rates and that people won't be told their life expectancy,//

Hi PP here ! Oh I LOVE a good going misquote

cancer treatment doesn't affect survival rates (1)
PP squeals - let me explain - I said that there is no evidence that the delays currently experienced in ca tmt will kill anyone - that is once started it usually doesnt seem to matter how long it takes

(1) overtreatment is defined as treatment that does not prolong life but may damage the patient. Currently there is debate about this and the current treatment for Prostate cancer
2013 Jun;20(3):204-9. Prostate cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Klotz L.
"To summarize the evidence, now extensive, that efforts to reduce prostate cancer mortality by screening and early detection result in overdiagnosis of disease .... and it goes on blah de blah de blad"

that is that aggressive treatment of prostate cancer needs er calming down and reassessment

incredible but true

Hi Pixie ! - more incredible but true facts coming up!

[Peter Pedant]

// I know of a family of five (same household) Two have tested positive, other three havent. WHY?//

why is it they know and wont tell us - WHY ?

this is the norm - Nailit - incredible but true. You can verify this by counting the houses where there is a case and whether there are other cases in the house

in a lot of cases - incredibly but truly - there is one affected the rest arent
This was also noticed in the 1665 great plague
( I thought they all DDDIIIIIEEED ! as in Eyam but they didnt apparently - incredible but true)
commented on by Defoe n Journal of the Plague Year 1682

currently we dont know if the other house persons have had mild infections ( incredible but true again) . That is because the Brits are laggers in the test measuring race ( true and not very incredible - we;re British)

[jno]

I don't think you have to be immune to something not to catch it. Just because you're living with someone who's caught a cold doesn't mean you will definitely catch it - you might, you might not. Some things are more contagious than others.

That's sort of in answer to nailit. Wiser heads may tell me if I'm wrong.

[jno]

ah, the wiser head got in before me.

[Peter Pedant]

Now I have all your attention

//does the test tell you if you have had the virus ?//
er well it tells you if you HAVE the virus - not have had
Barees will be testing negative even tho he has had it, or else he wouldne be let out.

//does the test tell you you are no longer contagious ?// yes. this is the test where the squaddies are sticking swabs in drivers mouths and giving them an answer after three days

the test is called a PCR and for the tems of this thread - if it is positive then you are contragious
and if it is negative then you arent

is the test ever wrong ?
well if they have stuck into your ear and not your mouth then you will get a duff result

and it is possible it will detect bits of viruses or dead virus as infectious virus

other than that it is pretty good

//can the test detect if you are immune ?//
no this one doesnt

this will require a spot of blood
There have been a hundred test tested by the govt and they all failed quality control. That included the one where the govt bought 19m and then claimed its money back
the big problem is that they all record/certify immunity when you are not.

Bad news. Incredible but true

the other incredible but true thing is that the test should have a high PPV - the chance that if it shows you are immune then you ARE in fact immune ( and not something else) . This should be as high and near to 100% as possible.

there is not an immune test that has a high ( enough ) PPV - incredible but true - so you cant have one at present

when the immune test comes out it will probably cost around £100 per test - - - ouch !

oops antibody testing on tee vee at present - I am not sure if they have got it right.

[Peter Pedant]

// If you have a natural immunity and your body has fought off the virus without getting infected will any test be able to pick that up ?//

no
this is a concept not known to medicine - there will never be a test for it

"I have not had Covid but I cant get it" - - forget it
such a state of affairs doesnt occur
incredible but true

clear enough ?
who is it that says - and I am not wrong !

[woofgang]

ha me and PP agree

[Peter Pedant]

// I had it (chicken pox ) as a child then again in my twenties but was told I would always carry the infection and it might even return as shingles //(chicken pox)

hey note the smooth transmission from chickenpox to shingles !

no you get chicken pox once and THEN later you may turn up with Shingles and the incredible but true thing is that the shingle virus is THE one that you had wiv chickenpox

this is called latency
and incredibly but truly latency does NOT occur with corona virus

because - - - it isnt a DNA virus
OK I will try again because it isnt an RNA virus with reverse transcriptase

( yah ya gart it - very very technical)

so it is NOT like chickenpox
it is MORE like SARS and MERS than we thought, to which it is related - and that is bad

and incredibly and truly - no no really the fella who did the chickenpox trick was - - - my fathers senior partner Dr Edgar Hope Simpson
incredible innit?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1293165/
and true !

and that kinda explains how I know an AWFUL lot about DNA viruses and latency

[johnny.5]

thank you pp
that makes some things a bit clearer but more things more hazy

Am I Right ?
I'm Not Wrong !

You are also Right
And
You Are Not Wrong !