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moriah

(8,312 posts)

39. The Quest antibody test can't distinguish Covid-19 from other coronavirus-based colds.

Sat May 16, 2020, 02:16 AM

May 2020

There are 4 known to be in human circulation that just cause colds. So the Quest test is more "if you're negative, you're still not safe", but a positive doesn't necessarily mean you had Covid-19.

FWIW, a friend who had traveled to Seattle in early February and had an awful "not-flu flu" took the Quest test and came up negative. He's kinda upset, cuz he needs to start flying again in June and hoped that was it.

I'd honestly wait until we had a better antibody test than the one Quest is giving out before making too many assumptions, though it doesn't surprise me that we could have had cases in NY and WA in December. Originally the Nextstrain website showed a potential window that included October as when the virus was first in human beings (which makes sense if it was brought to Wuhan by a rural person visiting the city, for whatever reason), and now they still suggest November as a possible beginning date.

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Antibody test results of 2 Snohomish County residents throw into question timeline of coronavirus [View all] brooklynite May 2020 OP

Definitely not "ironclad proof" FBaggins May 2020 #1

Just a note/mental exercise in my mind... SWBTATTReg May 2020 #2

No, not proof. However, there was also no "proof" of a January first case date. pnwmom May 2020 #19

well stated. and hits all the important points. stopdiggin May 2020 #25

Exactly. Probably MORE likely they had the flu in December Drahthaardogs May 2020 #31

It's unreal how persistent this belief is jberryhill May 2020 #33

I am a mathematical person. I think logically. Drahthaardogs May 2020 #34

So could the virus have been here for months and what's causing the deaths cstanleytech May 2020 #3

I was sick Thanksgiving last year. Tested neg. for the flu, but damn sure felt like it. Lochloosa May 2020 #4

See, this is exactly what I mean. Mike 03 May 2020 #6

There's always a variety of stuff circulating, though jberryhill May 2020 #7

Good point. Mike 03 May 2020 #8

"Could it have become deadly recently?" jberryhill May 2020 #13

Chinese researchers have found there are two strains, one deadlier than the other... AntiFascist May 2020 #40

No. Igel May 2020 #14

Were those 6 hours at a Holiday Inn Express? If so you're good, obviously (nt) mr_lebowski May 2020 #15

How do we know the deaths weren't there? We don't generally do autopsies on pnwmom May 2020 #20

Excess mortality jberryhill May 2020 #21

Try this one jberryhill May 2020 #23

Why are you showing graphs of Europe instead of the United States? pnwmom May 2020 #24

Because they were handy jberryhill May 2020 #26

Here jberryhill May 2020 #27

Your graph proves my point, thanks. There were excess deaths in January pnwmom May 2020 #28

What on earth are you talking about? jberryhill May 2020 #32

With exponential growth the initial numbers are very small. And then suddenly they aren't. pnwmom May 2020 #35

Oh boy jberryhill May 2020 #36

The Northeastern U. modelers believe that by March 1 there were already 28,000 cases pnwmom May 2020 #38

You are right, and.... reACTIONary May 2020 #29

Me, my older brother and his wife all got sick early March but we think it was cstanleytech May 2020 #16

Not only that. We need to take a hard look at the 2019-20 flu season. Mike 03 May 2020 #5

I convinced a young relative to get the flu shot in late December, and a week later she got sick. pnwmom May 2020 #22

It's quite possible, since Cheeto knew in EARLY NOVEMBER this was coming sandensea May 2020 #10

The Quest antibody test can't distinguish Covid-19 from other coronavirus-based colds. moriah May 2020 #39

He should get the Abbott antibody test. It is apparently 99.9% accurate. SunSeeker May 2020 #41

I think the Dinosaurs had this bucolic_frolic May 2020 #9

the only question is by those who aren;t looking for the answers in the first place beachbumbob May 2020 #11

This is why testing is critical matt819 May 2020 #12

Yeah, the FL trip from the NE and back, that's me. Flew back Jan. 31, got sick 2 days Nay May 2020 #17

It will take months and years for science to understand how the virus in all its forms Cognitive_Resonance May 2020 #18

I had some bug in early January. roamer65 May 2020 #30

Was coronavirus here in December? Health officer has doubts Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2020 #37