Your Coronavirus Test Is Positive. Maybe It Shouldn’t Be.

Created: 2020-09-06T20:34:00+00:00

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Researchers calling for more widespread testing even if the tests are not accurate.

Viral load should decide next steps not number of positive cases

If you hear AJ screeching about "90% of cases are a fraud," he is probably talking about this article, which mentiones up to 90% of some cases checked were over-amplified and not detecting an infectious viral load

PCR testing

Number of "amplification cycles" to find the virus determines severity of infection

Amplification cycle count is not provided when claiming cases are present

In Massachusetts, New York and Nevada, 90% of tested patients were carrying a minimal viral load

Extreme amplification levels may only be detecting deitritus (ex. dead virus matter from cells the immune system shredded.)

FDA does not set a standard level of amplification; every lab gets to decide its own criterion for a positive COVID case

> The C.D.C.’s own calculations suggest that it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles. Officials at some state labs said the C.D.C. had not asked them to note threshold values or to share them with contact-tracing organizations.