Where is the flu??

amother

Sat, Dec 26 2020, 10:17 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

Not sure what you're asking. When your doctor orders a blood test, they don't need to take a separate vial of blood for every component they test for. Similarly, they don't need to take a separate nasal swab to test for multiple pathogens. This isn't new, only the part where they add covid in is.

Blood can be divided or tested more than once. A nasal swab can't.

amother

Azure

Sat, Dec 26 2020, 10:28 pm

I copied some information from the FDA describing the process of testing swabs. Maybe this will help you understand better how it works and how it's not difficult to test the same sample for more than one virus:

Molecular Diagnostic Tests
Many companies and labs have developed tests to diagnose COVID-19 based on detection of the virus’s genetic material in a sample from the patient’s nose or throat. These steps may change as new technology becomes available, but currently the typical steps in molecular testing are:

A doctor, pharmacist, or other health professional orders a COVID-19 test. All COVID-19 tests, including those used with a home collection kit, require a prescription or order from a health professional.
You or a health care professional use a specialized swab to collect mucus from your nose or throat.
You or a health care professional put the swab in a sterile container and seal it for transport to a lab.
During the shipping process, most molecular test swabs must be kept within a certain temperature range so that the test will be accurate. The sample must arrive at the lab within 72 hours.
A lab technician mixes liquids with the swab to extract the genetic material of any virus that may be on the swab.
The lab technician uses special reagents, called primers and probes, and a high-tech machine to conduct several controlled heating and cooling cycles to convert the virus's RNA into DNA, and then make millions of copies of the DNA. Some tests use only one warming cycle to make copies of the DNA.
When specific probes bind to DNA, a special type of light is produced that can be seen by the machine and the test shows a "positive" result for infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

amother

Sat, Dec 26 2020, 10:31 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

They tested the swabs right in front of me, wasn't sent to a lab. It's a rapid test. They put the swab in such a test strip kind of thing and when the results come up, the swab goes into the trash.

amother

Azure

Sat, Dec 26 2020, 10:35 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

They tested the swabs right in front of me, wasn't sent to a lab. It's a rapid test. They put the swab in such a test strip kind of thing and when the results come up, the swab goes into the trash.

Ok so it's not as accurate when it's a rapid test, but regardless, the strip detects whether the virus is present or not. And if can test for more than one virus, as you now know.

amother

Linen

Sun, Dec 27 2020, 7:46 am

amother [ Lavender ] wrote:

Very simply, because the type of mask that is highly effective in preventing flu transmission, is the standard type that everyone is wearing now as part of social distancing. (Flu only need droplet precautions, ie standard mask while covid needs airborne precautions of N95)
Being that only an N95 respirator mask is highly effective in preventing covid, the standard masks we now wear only somewhat reduce the spread of covid, but greatly reduce the spread of the flu.
In fact, a few doctors I work with actually joked in the summer "watch, if we keep the mask wearing up, we are hardly going to have a flu season. Whoever has stocks in Tamiflu, sell now."

Please for the sake of all that is good and holy, don't let anyone get the idea that we should keep this hell (masks, SD, lockdowns) up to prevent flu. It's not even worth it for Covid!

amother

Crimson

Sun, Dec 27 2020, 8:46 am

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

Ok so it's not as accurate when it's a rapid test, but regardless, the strip detects whether the virus is present or not. And if can test for more than one virus, as you now know.

They recently came out with a very accurate rapid covid/flu/strept machine. Its just as good as the overnight labs. It gives u results in 15 minutes. For covid its pcr. But u can't use the same swab.

imanewmom2010

Sun, Dec 27 2020, 1:53 pm

Cepheid makes a flu/rsv/ covid test all at once in a rapid test

The less people out there with the flu the less likely the areas that aren’t social distancing and masking would catch it. Flu is larger particles so mask wearing is enough to prevent the spread while covid can sometimes be airborne.

Edited to add many (in areas where they aren’t masking and social distancing) are assuming they have covid bec they don’t want to test and just staying home. That can further decrease the spread if they actually have the flu which isn’t as contagious as covid.