Note that accuracy for infection is different from accuracy for contagiousness. A cheap quick easy breath test that detects virus in one’s breath may not be very accurate for infection, but may be more accurate for contagiousness. If the goal is to test for contagiousness (such as when entering an indoor workplace, restaurant, classroom, theater, etc.), that may be sufficient for that goal, even if it is not accurate enough to diagnose infected status for the purpose of determining medical treatment for the person.
I think we are on the same page. Was just pointing out to previous posters that it is quite a long shot that any of the current tests can be used in a surveillance mode. If a college student is to visit their health clinic for sample collection, the sample might as well be sent to a central lab (even though a result on the spot would be nice).
What are we seeing inside medicine? A 181-page long bill… $1M.
Well, a person would have to be infected in order to be contagious.
And people who have significant symptoms of illness (such as a high fever) are likely to stay home and/or seek medical attention, whether or not contagious.
So that sort of hypothetical test would seem to be a good option for proving protection in the types of places you mentioned (workplace, restaurant, classroom, theater, etc.).
It would miss asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people who are NOT contagious… but not much harm in that. Those people might be picked up later on the tail end of things, when there widespread, routine and accurate antibody testing becomes available.
About the $1.1M: it’s an EOB, though and not a bill. The article explains he will likely owe $0.
He is lucky in more than one way. Yes, he will owe $0, but it is frightening what could happen to someone without insurance hospitalized for a non-covid critical illness. Also, it highlights how much stress covid puts on the hospitals.
A new paper from Japan looked at superspreaders who started outbreaks. If you ignore outbreaks in healthcare facilities, a quarter of the superspreaders were young, 20-29. The superspreading events were the kinds of things we’ve been hearing about:
This is very troubling:
Do you think gymnasiums, in this case, means universities? I know that is a German term for post secondary education…if it means gym, like work out facilities, I’m surprised schools are not a source of super spreader events in this study.
@suzyQ7 -
Here is a direct quote: “We noted many COVID-19 clusters were associated with heavy breathing in close proximity, such as singing at karaoke parties, cheering at clubs, having conversations in bars, and exercising in gymnasiums.” So not a university (as per a German language reference), but what an English-speaker would also call a gymnasium.
It means gyms.
Oops, @happymom1 just beat me to it.
@“Cardinal Fang” - but you can do the quotes in boxes and bold face so your answer looks much nicer than mine. 
So, interesting… No schools or universities made it as top super spreader places in this study. That surprises me.
I thought they didn’t have college dorms in Japan and students typically live alone.
Has anyone heard anything new on timing of vaccines or any other meds? Seems ominously quiet on these fronts lately.
Politico Pulse is a free version of Politico Pro Health Care morning newsletter (email). It’s good for a quick scan.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politicopulsj
There is also a Politico Prescription Pulse. I’m not subscribed to that. It focuses on the latest pharm news and policy.
I also like the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security newsletter. Also good for a quick scan with clickable links to articles.
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/newsletters/hsh/
CIDRAP at UMN is supposed to be an excellent resource, but I forget to check it regularly.
Some of the Phase III vaccine trials will be enrolling participants soon.
One will begin enrolling at a Chicago location July 9: https://wgntv.com/news/medical-watch/chicago-to-be-a-test-site-for-covid-19-vaccine-clinical-trial/
Edited to add: You can search for both covid-19 vaccine and treatment trials here, sortable by city/state: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=COVID-19&term=vaccine&cntry=US&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search
Here’s an article discussing the problem that vaccine companies are having due to declining levels of virus in some areas, causing companies to establish clinical trial sites in countries where there are hotspots such as Brazil and South Africa.
This news is moving markets. Please let this be accurate! I’m a little cautious, thinking -How did the Chinese or Italians not figure this out?
Steroid dexamethasone reduces deaths from severe Covid-19, trial shows
9:41 a.m. ET — Treating Covid-19 patients with the generic steroid dexamethasone cut death rates by about a third for those with the most serious cases of the virus, according to data from a UK-led clinical trial.
Scientists have called the results a “major breakthrough” and the study’s researchers said the generic drug should become standard care in hospitalized coronavirus patients, Reuters reports.
There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for the coronavirus. —Hannah Miller, Reuters
This is the first, really positive thing, about treating the virus, imo.