I have seen warnings that there are scammers going door-to-door pretending to be testing for COVID-19. So the announcement of this study should come with a clear explanation about how the study is reaching out to potential participants, and that they are not going door-to-door.
I would love to know...live in Eastie, work in Chelsea, have not shown any symptoms but I suspect I already had it. I would like to know if I have the antibodies because we are being asked to help volunteer with the National Guard response...I know that antibodies may not 100% prove immunity, but it would give me some peace of mind.
Outreach will be done by email, no calls. A randomized list of residents living in the selected sampling areas (East Boston, Roslindale and within the boundaries of zip codes 02121 and 02125 in Dorchester) will be receiving an email from the City (Boston.gov email account) inviting them to participate in the study.
This testing will produce interesting results. But the best way to see what’s going on is not to look in specific zip codes, or to isolate people who haven’t shown symptoms. What we need here in Boston as well as around the country is a test that’s similar to public opinion polls, where they can take a few hundred people and fairly accurately project the results for everyone.
I missed a sentence in the announcement: Seems people will be getting both kinds of tests - one to see if they're currently infected (the swab up the nose) and one to see if they've been infected in the past (the finger needle prick).
Correct. Primary goal is to obtain a baseline of covid cases in a randomized population. Antibody tests will tell you if someone has been exposed. RNA (active virus) tests will tell you is someone is actively infected but asymptomatic. Secondary goal might be to validate antibody tests. I would guess that if you have active virus then you would most likely have antibodies. Accuracy of antibody tests in unknown at this point.
Please there is no significance is saying 146 per 10,000 -- It's an apparent 1%
We don't need to know that its 1.2% here and 1.7% there -- those are irrelevant differences. As for quoting a rate of 119.9 /10,000 based on a few hundred samples -- that's the equivalent of visiting 10 gas stations and quoting an average price per 100 gallons of $183.37 instead of saying $1.83 per gallon
However -- We need to know is it 1% here and 25% there -- those would be significant differences
All of the previous tests looking for antibodies in the finger-prick blood sample have found that the population with antibodies is anywhere from 20 to 80 Times [not %] greater than those who have been tested by the nasal swab and shown to be positive to the virus itself
Based on the LA County, NYC and several other relatively well-controlled studies of antibodies in the general public -- Boston is likely to be in the 10%+ range -- but let's see what this study shows
Comments
How are reaching out for participants?
I have seen warnings that there are scammers going door-to-door pretending to be testing for COVID-19. So the announcement of this study should come with a clear explanation about how the study is reaching out to potential participants, and that they are not going door-to-door.
I would love to know...live
I would love to know...live in Eastie, work in Chelsea, have not shown any symptoms but I suspect I already had it. I would like to know if I have the antibodies because we are being asked to help volunteer with the National Guard response...I know that antibodies may not 100% prove immunity, but it would give me some peace of mind.
Reaching out
From the city:
A truly random sample
This testing will produce interesting results. But the best way to see what’s going on is not to look in specific zip codes, or to isolate people who haven’t shown symptoms. What we need here in Boston as well as around the country is a test that’s similar to public opinion polls, where they can take a few hundred people and fairly accurately project the results for everyone.
Zip is
02131 for Rozzie
Original post updated
I missed a sentence in the announcement: Seems people will be getting both kinds of tests - one to see if they're currently infected (the swab up the nose) and one to see if they've been infected in the past (the finger needle prick).
Speaking of updating the post
Shouldn’t one of those 02121s be an 02125?
Yes
Thanks, fixed.
Both kinds of test
Correct. Primary goal is to obtain a baseline of covid cases in a randomized population. Antibody tests will tell you if someone has been exposed. RNA (active virus) tests will tell you is someone is actively infected but asymptomatic. Secondary goal might be to validate antibody tests. I would guess that if you have active virus then you would most likely have antibodies. Accuracy of antibody tests in unknown at this point.
Mayor's office needs help
...with their acronyms.
It's "HIPAA," not the phonetic "HIPPA."
Divide by 100 and drop the non-significant decimals
Please there is no significance is saying 146 per 10,000 -- It's an apparent 1%
We don't need to know that its 1.2% here and 1.7% there -- those are irrelevant differences. As for quoting a rate of 119.9 /10,000 based on a few hundred samples -- that's the equivalent of visiting 10 gas stations and quoting an average price per 100 gallons of $183.37 instead of saying $1.83 per gallon
However -- We need to know is it 1% here and 25% there -- those would be significant differences
All of the previous tests looking for antibodies in the finger-prick blood sample have found that the population with antibodies is anywhere from 20 to 80 Times [not %] greater than those who have been tested by the nasal swab and shown to be positive to the virus itself
Based on the LA County, NYC and several other relatively well-controlled studies of antibodies in the general public -- Boston is likely to be in the 10%+ range -- but let's see what this study shows