Yet another stupid asymptomatic spread Covid study

[ecstatichamster]

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2008457

BACKGROUND​

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can spread rapidly within skilled nursing facilities. After identification of a case of Covid-19 in a skilled nursing facility, we assessed transmission and evaluated the adequacy of symptom-based screening to identify infections in residents.

METHODS​

We conducted two serial point-prevalence surveys, 1 week apart, in which assenting residents of the facility underwent nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2, including real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and sequencing. Symptoms that had been present during the preceding 14 days were recorded. Asymptomatic residents who tested positive were reassessed 7 days later. Residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection were categorized as symptomatic with typical symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath), symptomatic with only atypical symptoms, presymptomatic, or asymptomatic.

RESULTS​

Twenty-three days after the first positive test result in a resident at this skilled nursing facility, 57 of 89 residents (64%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among 76 residents who participated in point-prevalence surveys, 48 (63%) tested positive. Of these 48 residents, 27 (56%) were asymptomatic at the time of testing; 24 subsequently developed symptoms (median time to onset, 4 days). Samples from these 24 presymptomatic residents had a median rRT-PCR cycle threshold value of 23.1, and viable virus was recovered from 17 residents. As of April 3, of the 57 residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 11 had been hospitalized (3 in the intensive care unit) and 15 had died (mortality, 26%). Of the 34 residents whose specimens were sequenced, 27 (79%) had sequences that fit into two clusters with a difference of one nucleotide.

CONCLUSIONS​

Rapid and widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was demonstrated in this skilled nursing facility. More than half of residents with positive test results were asymptomatic at the time of testing and most likely contributed to transmission. Infection-control strategies focused solely on symptomatic residents were not sufficient to prevent transmission after SARS-CoV-2 introduction into this facility.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Like all of these, everything is so uncontrolled and they cannot tell who was actually sick and didn’t see anything, spreading the virus around. Residents could’ve been sick, staff could’ve been sick, and they could’ve not said anything. A lot of people just feel subpar during the winter.

 

[jb116]

Malevolent magicians. They made something out of nothing. Took something that's always been and made something of it for hysteria.

 

[charlie]

Witchcraft and sorcery.

 

[boris]

The whole notion of public asymptomatic spreaders is ridiculous. It's what Peat means when he talks about society being manipulated with language.

An "asymptomatic case" is simply the rebranding of a healthy person.

 

[tankasnowgod]

METHODS​

We conducted two serial point-prevalence surveys, 1 week apart, in which assenting residents of the facility underwent nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2, including real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and sequencing. Symptoms that had been present during the preceding 14 days were recorded. Asymptomatic residents who tested positive were reassessed 7 days later. Residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection were categorized as symptomatic with typical symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath), symptomatic with only atypical symptoms, presymptomatic, or asymptomatic.

I'm disappointed this one went Richard Dawson/Ray Combs style, and only did a survey. I like the previous one, where the caught the virus on CCTV.

Actually, the Family Feud surveys are more thorough. They ask 100 people. This one only got 76.

 

[ecstatichamster]

These studies have a good purpose which is to generate an article for the stupids.

 

[jb116]

 

[Perry Staltic]

Witchcraft and sorcery.

Exactly

Definition of pharmacy​

1: the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

History and Etymology for pharmacy​

Late Latin pharmacia administration of drugs, from Greek pharmakeia, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs, from pharmakon magic charm, poison, drug


pharmakeía per Strong's Concordance

5331 pharmakeía (from pharmakeuō, "administer drugs") – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts, etc. (A. T. Robertson).

Strong's Greek: 5331. φαρμακεία (pharmakeia) -- the use of medicine, drugs or spells