Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Touchdown]

So the only change is an asymptomatic person doesn’t get an actual test now. They just assume they might be positive and quarantine...kinda like back in March and April when we didn’t have enough testing capacity. The end result is less positive tests overall and also higher percent positive. It really makes no sense to me still.

We still don’t have enough testing, like it or not. I was just pointing out the CDC is not recommending people with close contacts don’t need to do anything, that’s not true. I still question the timing of this change, and don’t think it’s ideal but the media has overblown this.

 

[Heppenheimer]

"Abbott Laboratories said on Wednesday it won U.S. marketing authorization for a COVID-19 portable antigen test that can deliver results within 15 minutes and will sell for $5.

The portable test is about the size of a credit card, requires no additional equipment to operate, and can be conducted using a less invasive nasal swab than traditional lab tests, Abbott executives said on a call with reporters.

Abbott expects to ship tens of millions of tests in September, ramping to 50 million tests a month from the beginning of October."

Abbott wins U.S. authorization for $5 rapid COVID-19 antigen test

Abbott Laboratories <ABT.N> said on Wednesday it won U.S. marketing authorization for a COVID-19 portable antigen test that can deliver results within 15 minutes and will sell for $5.

www.reuters.com

I hate to be the wet blanket, but we were excited about Abbott's rapid test that came out several months ago. It ended up having a sensitivity that was too low to be useful. So, let's see what the data in this test shows before we celebrate.

 

[Kevin_W]

I hate to be the wet blanket, but we were excited about Abbott's rapid test that came out several months ago. It ended up having a sensitivity that was too low to be useful. So, let's see what the data in this test shows before we celebrate.

I disagree little bit - it's still quite useful, even if not the be all/end all of tests.

This one is far from perfect as well - not detecting 2.9% of positive cases and giving false positives 1.5% of the time, according to Abbot's data. so if using it (say for flights, school, football, whatever) you have to have a plan for what you are going to do for the false positives. Is it just another 15-minute test? Or is it a longer, more sensitive test?

 

[easyrowrdw]

We still don’t have enough testing, like it or not. I was just pointing out the CDC is not recommending people with close contacts don’t need to do anything, that’s not true. I still question the timing of this change, and don’t think it’s ideal but the media has overblown this.

I guess it depends where you are. Our health board said we're only testing about a third of our capacity on a daily basis. In Texas I think they said demand was dropping like crazy, which was resulting in lower numbers. Many people just aren't bothering to get tested.

 

[Touchdown]

Testing materials remain a limited resource. It’s not that we don’t have the capacity, it’s that we don’t have enough reagent.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Testing materials remain a limited resource. It’s not that we don’t have the capacity, it’s that we don’t have enough reagent.

Hence the long time needed to get results?

 

[LukeS7]

I read about contact tracing 'success stories' like this around the world often. Unfortunately, the idea that we could have something like that happen in Florida is literally inconceivable right now. Looking past the challenges of public support & cooperation, there's no resources on the local, state, or federal level to even begin to make it happen. The state and county health departments here basically threw up their hands and gave up once we got a couple hundred cases into this, because they don't have the funding and manpower for their day-to-day operations let alone widespread pandemic contact tracing.

Honestly, the only shot we had at it was if a heavy economic hitter like Disney stood up and said "we need this", and threw their weight around politically until it happened.

I like how some of the people who have issues with technology-based contact tracing (such as Bluetooth handshakes that don't expose personal info) are probably the same people who go to Disney and go "Look how cool this Magic Band is! It's great, I can do everything with it". We should've just announced "Free Magic Bands for everyone!" and boom, large compliance

 

[SamusAranX]

I like how some of the people who have issues with technology-based contact tracing (such as Bluetooth handshakes that don't expose personal info) are probably the same people who go to Disney and go "Look how cool this Magic Band is! It's great, I can do everything with it". We should've just announced "Free Magic Bands for everyone!" and boom, large compliance

Magic Bands don't track your past movements outside of Disney World, or GPS track movements in progress

 

[LukeS7]

Magic Bands don't track your past movements outside of Disney World, or GPS track movements in progress

'Twas a joke mainly, but also, with some slight tweaks, you most likely could get Magic Bands to handshake with nearby ones, no park beacons needed.

 

[Disstevefan1]

'Twas a joke mainly, but also, with some slight tweaks, you most likely could get Magic Bands to handshake with nearby ones, no park beacons needed.

Sounds like a new product Disney could make money from !!!!!

 

[DisneyDebRob]

So the only change is an asymptomatic person doesn’t get an actual test now. They just assume they might be positive and quarantine...kinda like back in March and April when we didn’t have enough testing capacity. The end result is less positive tests overall and also higher percent positive. It really makes no sense to me still.

Not only are scientists and people in the medical field disagreeing with this new change, here’s the AMA statement on it. Asking where is the science justification for it.

AMA statement on CDC changes to COVID-19 testing guidance

Suggesting that people without symptoms, who have known exposure to COVID-positive individuals, do not need testing is a recipe for community spread.

www.ama-assn.org

 

[Kevin_W]

Not only are scientists and people in the medical field disagreeing with this new change, here’s the AMA statement on it. Asking where is the science justification for it.

AMA statement on CDC changes to COVID-19 testing guidance

Suggesting that people without symptoms, who have known exposure to COVID-positive individuals, do not need testing is a recipe for community spread.

www.ama-assn.org

I've seen several such statements from state heath directors and University medical directors (Yale, Stanford, others), but the president of the AMA has a pretty high degree of clout. The Washington Times article posted unfortunately was just an interview with an administration official (nope! not us!) and not actually with anyone in the CDC.

At least in America, a year ago I the CDC was held in extremely high esteem. Unfortunately, I think this pandemic has severely impacted their reputation.

 

[Andrew C]

The Washington Times article posted unfortunately was just an interview with an administration official (nope! not us!) and not actually with anyone in the CDC.

That official is essentially responsible for testing. He also said these changes were discussed in consultation with the task force that includes the CDC director, Birx, etc.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

That official is essentially responsible for testing. He also said these changes were discussed in consultation with the task force that includes the CDC director, Birx, etc.

With the exception of Fauci.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

With the exception of Fauci.

Beat me to it. He was under anesthesia when they decided this. Amazing.

 

[Andrew C]

Beat me to it. He was under anesthesia when they decided this. Amazing.

I know. Sneaky little buggers!! They waited for the perfect time to pounce!!!

Anyways. Here is what Fauci said.
"I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is,"

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I know. Sneaky little buggers!! They waited for the perfect time to pounce!!!

Anyways. Here is what Fauci said.
"I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is,"

Forgot the link if anyone wants to read the whole comment.

Redirect Notice

 

[Andrew C]

“A spokesperson from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, which Fauci leads, said that Fauci recalled "quickly reviewing a version of the guidelines" that had circulated previously. "At the time he was not struck by the potential implications of this particular change in the version he reviewed," the spokesperson said.

"Now reading them carefully, he has some concern that the revised guidelines could be interpreted as lessening the importance of asymptomatic spread of virus in the community," the spokesperson said, adding that "if people who come into close and prolonged contact with a documented case of COVID-19 become infected and are asymptomatic and are not tested and given results in a timely fashion, then asymptomatic spread to others could occur."”

 

[SorcererMC]

Not only are scientists and people in the medical field disagreeing with this new change, here’s the AMA statement on it. Asking where is the science justification for it.

AMA statement on CDC changes to COVID-19 testing guidance

Suggesting that people without symptoms, who have known exposure to COVID-positive individuals, do not need testing is a recipe for community spread.

www.ama-assn.org

IDSA called for immediate reversal.

IDSA/HIVMA Statement on Changes to CDC Guidance

www.idsociety.org

 

[lazyboy97o]

Magic Bands don't track your past movements outside of Disney World, or GPS track movements in progress

The Apple/Google Exposure Notifications do not use GPS.