https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59460252https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEDUOeeYEcfSbaRjnVLXImp4qFwgEKg4IACoGCAowl6p7MN-zCTClss0G?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen.
I received a call from a second cousin who was diagnosed last week with the Omnicron variant of Covid. She is required to quarantine for 14 days and get retested. If she still tests positive, she must quarantine another 14 days, then retest, etc. She was sick for four days, after which time she’s been feeling well and is symptom free. Apparently, they’re telling
everyone “You test positive for Omnicron,” at the state run testing clinics in New Jersey. My aunt (her mother, age 85), asked me to look into the matter. So not only are the rapid tests for Covid only about 75% accurate, but they unable to indicate variant
at all! The PCR tests are a little better, about 80% accurate for Covid, but they, too, cannot diagnose variant
at all! Turns out the only way to test for variant is by DNA, and this is not being done except by physician request to the CDC where they have the reagents. IOW, it’s
assumed every positive test is indeed positive, AND that it’s the Omnicron variant! That’s how the state of New Jersey is reporting statistics to the CDC, who, interestingly, just
downgraded their Omnicron rate across the USA from 73% to 59%.
Conclusion: Nobody really knows. This isn’t about public health, it’s about the politics of control and money.
There is about a 40% chance my cousin had nothing but a common cold, that percentage supported by the fact that she’s now well, but stuck at home at least until Friday! She missed out on celebrating Christmas, including going to Mass and family meals, gatherings, etc. If she tests positive again, there goes her New Years as well!
Topic: Diagnosing “Omnicron” Covid (Read 437 times)