"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:41:15 on Tue, 23 Jun

MHRA says "stop the finger prick tests"...

until home collection of this sample type has
been properly assessed and validated for use with these laboratory
tests.

...*until*

This does not affect rapid, point of care tests or laboratory tests
performed using blood taken from the vein.

The Agency has recently updated its guidance on home antibody testing
kits,
to ensure that the public and industry have the latest information on
the
reliability of test results and what they mean.

Graeme Tunbridge, MHRA Interim Director of Devices, comments:

with the announcement that there are now going to be "walk in" centres
for
people who cannot attend the current drive-ins, I took a look at the
process
so that I might be able to see if my long lasting, but very minor,
symptoms
are COVID (as the doctor continually suggest that they might be).

And firstly I fell at the first global hurdle - "you should make sure to
take the test during the first 5 days of symptoms" (so I'm out there by
more
than 100 days)

and second I fell at the ridiculous assault course inserted in front of
the
walk-in centres - "do not come to the centre by public transport or
taxi -
walk or cycle"

there are 4 of them in the whole country

are they really expecting "ill" people to walk/cycle 150 miles to get to
one
of them?

Nuts!

Yes, that's absurd. Can you get a home antibody test, to check if you've
had and recovered from it?

I didn't think that such a test was routinely available, even in the private
market

I thought all of these tests were speculate and unreliable

In message , at 06:42:09 on Sat, 27 Jun
2020, tim... remarked:

Can you get a home antibody test, to check if you've
had and recovered from it?

I didn't think that such a test was routinely available, even in the
private market

I thought all of these tests were speculate and unreliable

They are probably still testing the tests.

And, of course, even if you have antibodies, how much does that protect
you, both over time and against different strains. So how confident are
we that the quote[1] in the bumf is actually not actually causing *over*
confidence?

I know someone who took this test recently:

https://www.fortressdiagnostics.com/...tibody-igm-igg

It's quick, at home, but a bit fiddly.

So they are available through certain channels.

[1] "It showed that I have the IGG antibody which means I've had
COVID19. It's given me huge confidence to return to work safely."
--
Roland Perry

tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:41:15 on Tue, 23 Jun

MHRA says "stop the finger prick tests"...

until home collection of this sample type has
been properly assessed and validated for use with these laboratory
tests.

...*until*

This does not affect rapid, point of care tests or laboratory tests
performed using blood taken from the vein.

The Agency has recently updated its guidance on home antibody testing
kits,
to ensure that the public and industry have the latest information on
the
reliability of test results and what they mean.

Graeme Tunbridge, MHRA Interim Director of Devices, comments:

with the announcement that there are now going to be "walk in" centres
for
people who cannot attend the current drive-ins, I took a look at the
process
so that I might be able to see if my long lasting, but very minor,
symptoms
are COVID (as the doctor continually suggest that they might be).

And firstly I fell at the first global hurdle - "you should make sure to
take the test during the first 5 days of symptoms" (so I'm out there by
more
than 100 days)

and second I fell at the ridiculous assault course inserted in front of
the
walk-in centres - "do not come to the centre by public transport or
taxi -
walk or cycle"

there are 4 of them in the whole country

are they really expecting "ill" people to walk/cycle 150 miles to get to
one
of them?

Nuts!

Yes, that's absurd. Can you get a home antibody test, to check if you've
had and recovered from it?

I didn't think that such a test was routinely available, even in the private
market

I thought all of these tests were speculate and unreliable

Clive reported having such a test, but with the analysis done the next day
in a lab, not at home. There are also private tests available, not sure how
reliable they are.

In article , Recliner
writes
It's the home collection of pinprick samples for lab analysis that the MHRA
is dubious about;
[...]
Checked and it was
delivered at 06:05 the following morning and we were emailed the results
later in the day.

That seems pretty good, but maybe it isn't always? Normal RM
deliveries are typically running a day late at present, but maybe
these express services are still working promptly.

That's my guess. The big "COVID-19 SAMPLE" sticker on the (supplied)
envelope probably didn't hurt either.

But you missed out the punch line? Was the result as expected? Have
you already had the disease?

I can't tell you that! Georgie would be unhappy that I'm publishing my
personal data!!

(Lrf, vg jnf nf rkcrpgrq: artngvir.)

--
Clive D.W. Feather

In article , Recliner
writes
I didn't think that such a test was routinely available, even in the private
market

I thought all of these tests were speculate and unreliable

Clive reported having such a test, but with the analysis done the next day
in a lab, not at home. There are also private tests available, not sure how
reliable they are.

This was a private test.

It was recommended to me by a senior hospital consultant that I've known
for over 40 years and I trust. She used it for her family and, if I
recall correctly, said it was the one the hospital uses when needed.

I also asked a friend who's a coronavirus and immunization expert at CDC
in Atlanta to look over the company's web site and translate the jargon
for me. He said that it will be reliable in the positive direction - if
it says you have the long term antibodies, you have them - but perhaps
2% false negatives - saying "no" when you do have antibodies. For the
purpose we wanted the tests, that's the right answer.

--
Clive D.W. Feather