COVID testing X3

Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
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Timbeck2
I'm just back from a small "free" vacation from work the last few days. One of the pilots who was acting as the supervisor of flying (SOF and not to be confused with supervisor of ATC which was me at the time) tested positive for COVID19. Therefore, the 11 of us who had been in contact with him were sent home and tested last Friday for the virus. So far none of us have it attributed to mandatory mask wearing in the tower. Coincidentally, I had already scheduled a test prior to leaving for New York (per governor Cuomo's requirement) this coming Friday. That test was yesterday.

The first test was done on base and involved a syringe filled with saline squirted up each nostril and then drained into a specimen cup. That test came back negative.

The second and what turned out to be a third was performed yesterday using LabFinder. They told us that the CDC was on the premises and that if we wanted to, we could get an additional 2 hour result test which I would assume most agreed to. The second was just a nose swab, the third was the one people talk about which is the upper nasal or "brain" swab. That one was the "two hour" result test.

My question is for anyone else who used LabFinder. I haven't got the results from the 2 hour test and expect the results from the 48 hour test tomorrow. Does it usually take longer to get your results from LabFinder?
 
No idea who LabFinder is but it’s really based on which specific test they’re using. (And the quick tests have a really high false positive rate.)

The more accurate the test, in general, the longer it takes. Wife had one of those months ago and the lab was so backed up it took two weeks.

The paperwork showed the thing was flown to Kansas from here to get it to a lab that could run it that quickly back then.
 
This stuff is crazy. A friend's wife was called and informed she has been in close contact with a confirmed case. She tested positive. Her husband had the symptoms first, and tested negative. A week later he was tested again, this time "invalid", by then the wife had recovered, never tested again and was back to work. Their college age son never got sick but tested positive, the exact same day his dad tested "invalid".

How much pollution are these stupid tests creating because the data is questionable at best.
 
Yep, it makes you wonder how accurate these tests really are. I know these people are busy, I get it, but if they could just hire one or two additional people to call everyone and let them know that their tests were negative, it would be easier. Because right now, they don't call you unless you are positive, leaving you wondering if the test is complete or you are actually negative. Also, I would like something I could print out to prove a negative test and it doesn't seem like that is happening either.
 
Just think. Only 10 million positives and 240M to go. Took six months roughly.

We’ll know in 12 years at the current testing rate. LOL.

(Clearly tongue in cheek, many other variables to account for that aren’t available, but virtually nobody notices we haven’t even hit a testing level mathematically where anything is even statistically significant. Or thought about what that means for timeframes. Or whether asymptomatic testing is even useful at all.)
 
All I need is "something" to show Governor Cuomo that I don't have COVID. He wants it within 3 days of departure from Tucson. At this rate, he isn't going to get it.
 
In the early days of the pandemic, the demand for tests, any tests, right now was so strong that the FDA allowed test manufacturers to self-certify that their test kits were accurate. That worked about as well as one might have expected. In recent months, companies hoping to get tests on the market have had to submit actual data for FDA review before the tests are approved for sale. So the tests are getting better, but are far from perfect. And there is still a trade-off between speed and accuracy.
 
GaryM said:
In the early days of the pandemic, the demand for tests, any tests, right now was so strong that the FDA allowed test manufacturers to self-certify that their test kits were accurate. That worked about as well as one might have expected. In recent months, companies hoping to get tests on the market have had to submit actual data for FDA review before the tests are approved for sale. So the tests are getting better, but are far from perfect. And there is still a trade-off between speed and accuracy.
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IME, as a frequent flyer medical consumer, not a doctor or scientists, its been my observation that even FDA approved tests and treatments can have really ****ty accuracy.

When you go to an ER, sick as a dog and the CBC says it is not bacterial, they send you home diagnosed "viral syndrome" IOW they don't have a damn clue what is making you sick but its not bacterial! Go home. If you get worse come back...

Thank god my last 10 years have been pretty much healthcare-fee and nothing appears to be changing.
 
I've found this chart by the FDA helpful. This version is recent, updated October 23. The most accurate is the molecular test, usually Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT).
 

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denverpilot said:
Just think. Only 10 million positives and 240M to go. Took six months roughly.

We’ll know in 12 years at the current testing rate. LOL.

(Clearly tongue in cheek, many other variables to account for that aren’t available, but virtually nobody notices we haven’t even hit a testing level mathematically where anything is even statistically significant. Or thought about what that means for timeframes. Or whether asymptomatic testing is even useful at all.)
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Most people don't want to test. I don't. So there are tests available locally, and I know of zero people even wanted to take them.
 
Timbeck2 said:
All I need is "something" to show Governor Cuomo that I don't have COVID. He wants it within 3 days of departure from Tucson. At this rate, he isn't going to get it.
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Can you change your flight to land somewhere outside the silly rule and then just drive a rental car in? LOL.
 
Welcome to the jungle.
On top of my usual work I evaluate 50-100 ppl a week virtually for covid testing-prior to rush I worked a test center in the spring. The permutations of this grand experiment are absolutely crazy. I could go on for hours...
 
I was asked by my employer for a voluntary test which I did. Had to spit into a tube. Got the result two days later, unsurprisingly I am negative. Hoping to stay that way.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Well, good news. I got an email about 8 o'clock last night with the results.

COVID-19 Test Result Summary
NEGATIVE

So I've got that all printed out and I'm ready to go.
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Congrats on not having the funk...yet at least. :)

$20 says no one will ask to see it. We spent a week flying to several states up there (NY included) and got the negative results for the same reason as you. Not a person wanted it.

Happy hunting Tim...hope you get a nice one!
 
denverpilot said:
Can you change your flight to land somewhere outside the silly rule and then just drive a rental car in? LOL.
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I think that you would be better off flying in. Friend Just this week went into New York City via the New Jersey Turnpike and they had roadblocks and people with forms and you had to certify and all this other stuff under pain off a $2000 fine. Quarantine at a designated location until you are able to test negative. And yet we have people from New York coming down to North Carolina all day long and no problem for them.
 
My company has me back traveling again. CLT was packed Tuesday and all my flights had pretty much every seat full. IND was empty and RDU is still pretty light.
 
There are two types of tests for COVID. The first uses the Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR. A piece of DNA is replicated over and over until there is enough of it to detect. However, the virus is made of RNA, not DNA. They are similar, but chemically different. The enzymes used in PCR don't work on RNA, so the RNA is made into DNA by the enzyme reverse transcriptase. This test only detects viral genomes, and will only detect an active infection. Because PCR is so sensitive the test can be done with sputum, which, while unpleasant, beats a blood draw all to hell.

And antibody test detects whether you've made antibodies to the COVID virus. It detects the IgG antibody fraction in the blood, which are the ones you make to combat infections. It isn't as sensitive as PCR, bu tis far more accurate and requires a small quantity of blood.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I think that you would be better off flying in. Friend Just this week went into New York City via the New Jersey Turnpike and they had roadblocks and people with forms and you had to certify and all this other stuff under pain off a $2000 fine. Quarantine at a designated location until you are able to test negative. And yet we have people from New York coming down to North Carolina all day long and no problem for them.
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That’s wild.

Technically if they wanted to do it right — they’d be keeping people IN the hot spot though. LOL.

Rat colonies. You gotta love urbanization... :)

Of course not surprised they made it a revenue generator too. Hahaha.

Their real tax base all fell to the Hamptons and changed their mailing addresses months ago. LOL.

Fined more than my backup beater car is worth for driving to a State on a highway. Amazing.

Remind me again if I ever even think about going to the east coast for anything, that I’ve clearly lost my mind. Whoever is there can keep it... yuck.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Most people don't want to test. I don't. So there are tests available locally, and I know of zero people even wanted to take them.
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I've taken the up your nose test twice. It's definitely a deterrent.
 
Just traveled from Seattle to Juneau. If you did not have a negative test within 72 hours you got tested. Free/no cost to AK residents and $250 for non residents. Results sent to cell and email within 72 hours. You were required to quarantine until getting results.
 
I'm still wondering how all these people are getting tested. AFAIK, I have never qualified. For one thing, I don't work. So if you don't work, these are the requirements...
  • Have 1 symptom
  • Was exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days
Who knows about number 2. I was probably exposed to hundreds of people in the past 14 days, but I don't know their COVID status.

I was out of touch with the internet, cell service, news and reality for 17 days, then I continued my vacation without viewing much about COVID or anything else. The other day, I was standing in line for the shuttle in Zion and the people in front of me were talking with a ranger about the need for a test or quarantine when they got back home. Never found out where they were from, but I was hoping it wasn't California (it wasn't).
 
Everskyward said:
I'm still wondering how all these people are getting tested.
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The short answer is: You aren’t “essential.”

LOL. Sorry us schlubs just don’t rate. Ha.

Even most “essentials” don’t qualify without symptoms other than a chosen few, like ATC.

Karen paid for one of hers. As a nurse. Working 24 hours after the US figured out it was here.

Makes it pretty clear where we fit in the true needs of society, doesn’t it? Haha.

Bunch of people learned they’re quite expendable this year. Probably bothers some of them, too. :)
 
MadseasoN said:
Those "free" tests were given to you on credit, my friend.
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In the corruption and graft free state of Illinois, our billionaire beach ball shaped governor owns the company contracted to give the tests. But that's fine.... they were simply the best option....
 
Everskyward said:
I'm still wondering how all these people are getting tested.
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Reminder: I'm pretty sure I posted something like this before, but it depends on the State. Here in Maskachusetts there is ample testing capacity, administering about 100,000 tests per day now. In a State with a population of almost 7 million, just over 7 million tests have been done. And I'm refering to molecular tests.

In addition to the people tested with the molecular tests, over 218,000 individuals have been tested with the antigen test.

There used to be a specific criteria needed and a referral, but now there dozens, if not hundreds, of sites that don't require a referral.
 
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