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#it just stays on the verifying stage for an indefinite amount of time
b0tster · 26 days
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sorry i havent been posting dev posts on tumblr. this website seemingly is incapable of uploading video files anymore 😥
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Drabble: Natsu got turned into a small child and now everyone's debating who should babysit him until he's back to normal.
            The FairyTail Guildhall was rife with chatter as its members were gathered around thestage in the main hall. A handful of people knew what this gathering was about,but the majority only knew that Makarov had called them all together to discusssomething of “monumental importance”. Up on stage, Makarov coughed thrice toget everyone to quiet down. To the majority not in the know, Makarov’s face wasschooled in poker face fashion; but to the few who knew what was about to be “discussed”…Well. Things were going to be very interesting very shortly.
            “As many ofyou know, Team Natsu recently returned from an assignment.” Makarov got thatmuch out before a random Guildmate piped up.
            “Does thishave to do with why Natsu and Erza weren’t with them?”
            Being thepatient Grandfather figure he was, Makarov nodded sagely at the mage.
            “Well.Natsu, yes,” Makarov corrected himself. “I needed Erza for an S-Class job, andshe’s not back yet. She’s completely unrelated to why I’ve called you here, solet’s focus on Natsu. While on the job, a dark mage got a lucky shot off on thepoor lad, but fortunately the man was captured and arrested, so he will begetting the punishment he deserves.”
            Understandably,out of everyone present, Lisanna seemed the most distressed with this news.
            “Is Natsugoing to be okay?!” Her worry was reflected on the faces of her siblings, whowere next to her. Makarov nodded sympathetically toward the Takeover mage.
            “Yes, yes,Natsu is alive and well.” Makarov then turned his head away slightly andscratched his cheek sheepishly. “He’s just… been reduced to the age of ten.”
            “Oh. Well,that doesn’t sound so bad.” Cana said out of reflex, before her mind caught up,and she spewed out the booze she was drinking. “NATSU’S FRIGGIN’ TEN?!”
            Cana’sexclamation kickstarted a chain reaction of cries of disbelief. Makarov calmlywaited them out, as he, too, was skeptical until he saw the little spitfirehimself. And he was every bit the hellion that the Titan mage remembered. Why,it got Makarov to wondering if Natsu had matured at all within the past decade-ish. He was inclined to answer with ahearty ‘no’.
            “Simmerdown!” Makarov barked out after he let everyone react to the biggest piece ofnews. “This is not a joke. Natsu is well and truly a child again, and I can’thonestly say how long this will be the case. The Spell could just wear off, or itcould just as easily be permanent, and Natsu will have to relive his teenageyears. Levy and Freed have both been filled in, and they’re looking into it aswe speak.”
            Laxus, who’dbeen pretty quick on the uptake since seeing that Freed wasn’t with the ThunderLegion, raised an eyebrow at his Old Man.
            “So themeeting’s not about updating us on Natsu or getting us to help undo the Spell.What’re we really here for…?”
            That seemedto snap many people out of their initial shock. Their Master did not doanything without a reason – at least, not the really important stuff. TeamNatsu had been back for a few days, and Makarov had not said anything, despitethe inquiries to Natsu’s whereabouts. One could just write this off as theresearch taking too long, and Natsu’s absence becoming a little too concerningfor everyone, but many knew Makarov better than that. The man was a genuineGrandfather to them all, but he was not without his faults or schemes...
            Some werealready looking toward the exit.
            “Ah, well,now that ya bring it up…” Makarov rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “… Ineed somebody to take custody of Natsu. I’ve done all I could, but the brat is goingstir-crazy being cooped up in my home. Didn’t wanna do that, but I thoughtmaybe the research wouldn’t take that long, and we could sweep this whole messunder the rug. He probably won’t be as much of a headache if ya let him runaround a while, but he’s not staying under my roof anymore.”
            Makarov’stone was light, but many a mage’s face had become ashen by the end of hislittle rant. Chibi Natsu was confined to a house for more than one day. ChibiNatsu had enough pent-up energy on his best days, Macao and Wakaba rememberedall too well. Makarov was basically playing Hot Potato, and only the reallyeccentric ones were going to be crazy enough to take Chibi Natsu into theirhome for an indefinite amount of time.
            … Or Natsu’sclosest friends, if you want a friendlier term.
            “NOT IT!” Achorus of voices piped up, and a wave of people stepped far away from thestage, leaving a handful of people to fight for the “honor”.
            “I hate toadmit it, but it’s kinda my fault Flamebrain wound up like this.” Gray sighedas he massaged his temple. “Used ‘im as a human meat shield for that attack,and look what happened. If no one’s gonna watch out for him, I will.
            Lucy shookher head ruefully.
            “I couldhave had Taurus block the shot, but I was preoccupied and thought Natsu couldtake the shot. I don’t like it, but… Natsu should probably stay with me. Imean, you probably don’t know much about raising kids.”
            “I canremember how Ur raised me ‘n Lyon just fine!” Gray shouted indignantly. Lucysweatdropped.
            “Yeeeah. Idon’t want Natsu to have the same stripping habit. If he’s with me, I canprobably get him to stop eating like a pig, too.” The blonde deadpanned. Graygrunted, but nodded in begrudging agreement.
            “Whoa,whoa, hey! Back up there, Lu-Lu!” Cana made exaggerated hand motions. “You didn’tgrow up with Natsu, so you don’t know what he was like! You’re better offlettin’ one of us watch him.”
            “Plus, Idon’t think you’d earn enough to feed two mouths.” Mira chimed in. “Three,counting Happy~.”
            Lucynarrowed her eyes and grumbled about ‘hitting below the belt’. Lisanna flailedher arms slightly.
            “This Natsudoesn’t even remember me ‘dying’, so I’d like the chance to raise him! Y’know,almost start over, in a way.”
            “A Real Manprotects his family!” Elfman flexed his muscles. “Natsu’s our responsibility!”
            Canasnorted.
            “You and Lisanna,I could trust. But Miss Barmaid will probably make him cry, like the good ol’days.”
            Miraoffered no verbal response, but she did offer an ominous smile that might ormight not have promised Cana excruciating pain. Makarov eyed Macao curiously,as he had backed up with the crowd.
            “You don’twant to raise Natsu?”
            Macaosweatdropped.
            “I love thekid, but he and Romeo are about the same age now. Romeo doesn’t need to becomemore like Natsu.”
            “Nothingwill stop him from coming by the Guild.” Makarov ‘helpfully’ pointed out. Macao’sshoulders sagged.
            “I know.”
            Juviashuffled forward with a conflicted expression.
            “Um… Juviawould not mind watching over Natsu-san!” Her features were schooled into aneutral expression, though Lisanna knew her bestie well enough to see she wasquite taken with the mental image of ‘Chibi Natsu’. And to be fair, Natsu wasadorable as a kid.
            That didnot stop the youngest Strauss Sibling from puffing her cheeks in frustration.Natsu was hers, damn it!
            They wenton like this for quite some time. Lucy and Gray seemed to agree to some ‘jointcustody’ system, as between them, they could probably get the little spitfireto be more mature. Probably. The Strauss siblings were still fiercely makingtheir case, and honestly, it would make a lot of sense to let them take care ofthe Pyro. Cana and Juvia still showed interest, too, and even Jet and Droygrudgingly stepped forward to represent Levy, who had told them to representher in her absence.
            And justwhen it seemed as if Makarov was going to give all interested parties jointcustody of the Dragon Slayer, the Guildhall doors slammed open, revealing Erzawith her hand latched onto the scruff of Chibi Natsu’s scarf.
            “Wouldanyone kindly explain why I found Natsu running around the market… as a child…?”Erza inquired with narrowed eyes. Truth be told, she’d nearly had a heartattack when she verified Natsu wasn’t under some Transformation. Yet that worrywas mixed in with curiosity, anger towards her stupid, stupid Guildmates forleaving the Dragon Slayer unattended, and a deep-seated need to Punish whoeverput Natsu in this state.
            A deadlycombination, that.
            “O-Oh,Erza! You’re back!” Makarov was sweating buckets. If she’d come across Natsu,then the boy had most certainly escaped Lucy’s apartment. Makarov had electedto store the boy there until this little meeting was over with, as there was noway in hell Natsu was staying in his home.Makarov wouldn’t have a home to go to, if that happened.
            But it wasperfectly fine for the Dragon Slayer to stay in Lucy’s place for a bit.
            “Look, here’show it went down…” Gray sighed as it seemed like Lucy and Master were tooscared to explain the ‘accident’. Maybe she’d Punish him for using Flamebrainfor a human meat shield, but at least she’d find out now instead of later. ‘Causethere’s no hiding anything from Erza.
            By the endof Gray’s explanation, Erza had gone eerily still, and many feared what shewould do, after the Ice mage had ceased talking.
            “… I willtake care of everything.” Erza replied simply, much to everyone’s relief. Tosome people’s disappointment, too, but Erza had That Look in her eye, which signaledthat it was ill-advised to argue with her.
            Only Natsucould defy her when she had That Look, and he was currently trying to slip awayfrom the scarlet knight’s iron grip.
            “Are yousure you’ll be alright, Erza? Natsu is ahandful.” Makarov sympathetically remarked, earning many an indignant squawkfrom the crowd.
            Unsurprisingly,Erza did not back down.
            “I think it’sbest if I do it, actually. I know him best.” Her gaze softened as she turnedslightly to look down at the squirming Dragon Slayer. Most didn’t question Erza’ssoft spot for the Pyro, but there were a few women that registered that as achallenge.
            They wouldnot let Erza win that easily, afterall~.
~*~
Note: Not nearly enough Erza-chan for my tastes, but Erza raising a de-aged Natsu warrants another drabble entirely~. I know procellasdracon and I have talked about this idea in our threads; even the reverse situation, with Natsu raising a de-aged Erza. It'd just be cute to picture it~. De-aging - a cliche plot bunny, but an amusing one, all the same. ^___^
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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years
Text
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.
In late March, residents of the Colorado town of Telluride and surrounding San Miguel County stood in line, along marked spots spaced 6 feet apart, to have their blood drawn by medical technicians wearing Tyvek suits, face shields and gloves for a new COVID-19 test.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tests for the virus that causes the respiratory illness have been in short supply since the outbreak began, this was a new type of test. It wasn’t to see who was sick right now. It was an antibody test that would assess who had been exposed and how widespread the virus was in the community to inform decisions about managing the outbreak.
When part-time Telluride residents and United Biomedical Inc. co-CEOs Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese had offered to provide their company’s newly developed COVID-19 antibody tests for free to not just Telluride, but all of San Miguel County too, more than 6,000 of the county’s estimated 8,000 residents jumped at the chance.
“People really want to be part of it,” said Donna Fernald, a home health nurse who was tested the first day.
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The widespread testing was an experiment in this community best known for its tony ski resort and summer music festivals. But it also served as a model for what, perhaps, could be possible everywhere to guard against the spread of the disease.
“This was a gift and an opportunity,” said San Miguel County spokesperson Susan Lilly.
That was the original plan, anyway. But on Tuesday, the grand experiment with bold aspirations appeared to fall apart. Lilly put out a statement announcing that testing was being “delayed indefinitely due to United Biomedical Inc.’s reduced ability to process the tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Lilly declined to comment on the decision.
The test that Hu and Reese’s company had promoted as “fast — results in two hours” had slowed to a virtual halt. The company had initially told the county to expect results within 48 to 72 hours after the samples arrived at the company’s New York lab. Results from tests conducted March 26 and 27 were announced April 1, but results from subsequent tests have still not come in.
More From The Mountain States
View More
A San Miguel County Department of Public Health and Environment press release quoted a company statement that blamed the delay on operations and the majority of staff being located in New York, where the pandemic has hit especially hard. The press release issued Tuesday said the company is aiming to resume processing the estimated 4,000 outstanding tests from the first round of testing.
But with only a fraction of the results in so far, and additional testing in question, the COVAXX testing appears to be yet another example of the chaotic response to the coronavirus crisis gone wrong.
A Different Kind Of Test
The test that Hu and Reese donated to the Telluride community is an antibody test developed by COVAXX, a newly formed subsidiary of their New York-based United Biomedical. It’s one of more than 30 commercially available tests without Food and Drug Administration approval under flexible rules adopted to address the COVID-19 pandemic. So far only one antibody test has received official FDA approval — a test made by Cellex, which uses just a pinprick of blood and produces results in about 15 minutes.
Antibody tests are fundamentally different than the CDC swab tests currently used to make official diagnoses. Where the swab test looks for the virus’s genetic material to determine active infections, an antibody test looks for antibodies in a person’s blood that show an immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine, said the test can’t tell whether the person is currently sick or infectious.
The plan in Telluride was for participants to be tested twice, two weeks apart, with the COVAXX test because it can take a while for someone infected to show up as positive when measuring antibodies.
The COVAXX website claims its test has 100% sensitivity (that’s the test’s ability to find antibodies to the virus) and 100% specificity (a measure of how good the test is at differentiating this novel coronavirus’ antibodies from other antibodies).
But, Garry said, no test is perfect. And creating an antibody test for the virus being called SARS-CoV-2 is “tricky,” he said, because it needs to distinguish among several seasonal coronaviruses. Furthermore, he added, the COVAXX test is a peptide assay, which he said typically is not very sensitive.
“We know 100% is an almost impossible bar to reach,” Garry said. “It kind of raises some red flags.”
In an interview with KHN before the Telluride program stopped, Hu said that “I always hesitate when I say 100%,” but she said that the company validated the test against 900 samples collected before the COVID-19 outbreak, with no false positives. She added the test also correctly produced positive results from blood samples that have been verified as positive through other tests.
Theoretically, having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 could make a person immune to the virus, but how robust this immunity is and how long it might last remain open questions. The big promise behind testing a whole community is that if one can identify people who have been infected and recovered (or never gotten sick in the first place), one can safely send them back to work or out in the community, Reese said.
“It’s absolutely my goal to make this standard for how we get the country back to a new normal,” Reese had said before the test was suspended. “If we tested everyone in the whole country and were prepared to do it twice, you would know exactly when you would be back at functioning — everybody back at work.”
Reese isn’t alone in his excitement. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman invested an undisclosed amount of capital into COVAXX through his Pershing Square Foundation, and bestselling author and XPrize founder Dr. Peter Diamandis is listed as part of the COVAXX leadership team on the company’s website. Diamandis presents a fawning interview with Hu and Reese in a widely shared YouTube video, which does not disclose his relationship with the company. Neither responded to requests for comment.
Testing Results
In all, about 6,000 of San Miguel residents were tested at three locations across the county, which covers about 1,300 square miles. As of Monday, only 1,631 of the tests had been processed, with eight (0.5%) of them deemed positive, 25 (1.5%) “borderline” and 1,598 (98%) negative. Borderline results indicate the person may be in the early stages of producing antibodies, Lilly said.
Yet the single tests alone can’t provide a clear picture of how many people have been exposed.
As of Thursday, a total of 11 cases in San Miguel County had been identified with standard swab tests. Officials continue to recommend that all residents practice social distancing and that those experiencing symptoms practice further isolation to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
One way to look at this attempt at large-scale testing is that “everybody’s getting together and trying to do something cooperative and innovative,” said George Annas, director of the center for health law, ethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health.
“If you wanted to be cruel, you could say this is a publicity stunt,” Annas said.
The program certainly won COVAXX a lot of good publicity, along with gratitude from local residents — at least initially.
And a resort town in Wyoming is following suit. John Goettler, president of St. John’s Health Foundation in Jackson, said his organization is spending “less than $20,000” on COVAXX tests for about 500 health professionals and first responders. Goettler said Jackson resident Dakin Sloss, a hedge fund owner listed as another member of COVAXX’s leadership team, helped secure the tests. Testing is set to begin next week, and the test will be processed at a local lab, rather than in New York.
But in Ouray County, adjacent to San Miguel County, officials decided against such testing even before the Telluride suspension.
The cost “would shoot a hole in my budget for at least the next two years,” said Ouray County public health director Tanner Kingery.
But that wasn’t the only concern, Kingery said. It would have required a large supply of precious masks and other personal protective equipment, he said, while potentially exposing health care workers and community members to the virus.
Dr. Andrew Yeowell, an emergency room physician and Ouray County EMS medical director, also was concerned that negative tests might give people a false sense of security. If people with negative tests felt emboldened to go out in the community and interact with others, he said, it could undermine the county’s advisory to stay home.
“If you’re having symptoms or feel sick, stay home,” Kingery added. “That guidance doesn’t really change if you have a positive test.”
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened. published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/
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stephenmccull · 4 years
Text
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.
In late March, residents of the Colorado town of Telluride and surrounding San Miguel County stood in line, along marked spots spaced 6 feet apart, to have their blood drawn by medical technicians wearing Tyvek suits, face shields and gloves for a new COVID-19 test.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tests for the virus that causes the respiratory illness have been in short supply since the outbreak began, this was a new type of test. It wasn’t to see who was sick right now. It was an antibody test that would assess who had been exposed and how widespread the virus was in the community to inform decisions about managing the outbreak.
When part-time Telluride residents and United Biomedical Inc. co-CEOs Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese had offered to provide their company’s newly developed COVID-19 antibody tests for free to not just Telluride, but all of San Miguel County too, more than 6,000 of the county’s estimated 8,000 residents jumped at the chance.
“People really want to be part of it,” said Donna Fernald, a home health nurse who was tested the first day.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.
Sign Up
Please confirm your email address below:
Sign Up
The widespread testing was an experiment in this community best known for its tony ski resort and summer music festivals. But it also served as a model for what, perhaps, could be possible everywhere to guard against the spread of the disease.
“This was a gift and an opportunity,” said San Miguel County spokesperson Susan Lilly.
That was the original plan, anyway. But on Tuesday, the grand experiment with bold aspirations appeared to fall apart. Lilly put out a statement announcing that testing was being “delayed indefinitely due to United Biomedical Inc.’s reduced ability to process the tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Lilly declined to comment on the decision.
The test that Hu and Reese’s company had promoted as “fast — results in two hours” had slowed to a virtual halt. The company had initially told the county to expect results within 48 to 72 hours after the samples arrived at the company’s New York lab. Results from tests conducted March 26 and 27 were announced April 1, but results from subsequent tests have still not come in.
More From The Mountain States
View More
A San Miguel County Department of Public Health and Environment press release quoted a company statement that blamed the delay on operations and the majority of staff being located in New York, where the pandemic has hit especially hard. The press release issued Tuesday said the company is aiming to resume processing the estimated 4,000 outstanding tests from the first round of testing.
But with only a fraction of the results in so far, and additional testing in question, the COVAXX testing appears to be yet another example of the chaotic response to the coronavirus crisis gone wrong.
A Different Kind Of Test
The test that Hu and Reese donated to the Telluride community is an antibody test developed by COVAXX, a newly formed subsidiary of their New York-based United Biomedical. It’s one of more than 30 commercially available tests without Food and Drug Administration approval under flexible rules adopted to address the COVID-19 pandemic. So far only one antibody test has received official FDA approval — a test made by Cellex, which uses just a pinprick of blood and produces results in about 15 minutes.
Antibody tests are fundamentally different than the CDC swab tests currently used to make official diagnoses. Where the swab test looks for the virus’s genetic material to determine active infections, an antibody test looks for antibodies in a person’s blood that show an immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine, said the test can’t tell whether the person is currently sick or infectious.
The plan in Telluride was for participants to be tested twice, two weeks apart, with the COVAXX test because it can take a while for someone infected to show up as positive when measuring antibodies.
The COVAXX website claims its test has 100% sensitivity (that’s the test’s ability to find antibodies to the virus) and 100% specificity (a measure of how good the test is at differentiating this novel coronavirus’ antibodies from other antibodies).
But, Garry said, no test is perfect. And creating an antibody test for the virus being called SARS-CoV-2 is “tricky,” he said, because it needs to distinguish among several seasonal coronaviruses. Furthermore, he added, the COVAXX test is a peptide assay, which he said typically is not very sensitive.
“We know 100% is an almost impossible bar to reach,” Garry said. “It kind of raises some red flags.”
In an interview with KHN before the Telluride program stopped, Hu said that “I always hesitate when I say 100%,” but she said that the company validated the test against 900 samples collected before the COVID-19 outbreak, with no false positives. She added the test also correctly produced positive results from blood samples that have been verified as positive through other tests.
Theoretically, having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 could make a person immune to the virus, but how robust this immunity is and how long it might last remain open questions. The big promise behind testing a whole community is that if one can identify people who have been infected and recovered (or never gotten sick in the first place), one can safely send them back to work or out in the community, Reese said.
“It’s absolutely my goal to make this standard for how we get the country back to a new normal,” Reese had said before the test was suspended. “If we tested everyone in the whole country and were prepared to do it twice, you would know exactly when you would be back at functioning — everybody back at work.”
Reese isn’t alone in his excitement. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman invested an undisclosed amount of capital into COVAXX through his Pershing Square Foundation, and bestselling author and XPrize founder Dr. Peter Diamandis is listed as part of the COVAXX leadership team on the company’s website. Diamandis presents a fawning interview with Hu and Reese in a widely shared YouTube video, which does not disclose his relationship with the company. Neither responded to requests for comment.
Testing Results
In all, about 6,000 of San Miguel residents were tested at three locations across the county, which covers about 1,300 square miles. As of Monday, only 1,631 of the tests had been processed, with eight (0.5%) of them deemed positive, 25 (1.5%) “borderline” and 1,598 (98%) negative. Borderline results indicate the person may be in the early stages of producing antibodies, Lilly said.
Yet the single tests alone can’t provide a clear picture of how many people have been exposed.
As of Thursday, a total of 11 cases in San Miguel County had been identified with standard swab tests. Officials continue to recommend that all residents practice social distancing and that those experiencing symptoms practice further isolation to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
One way to look at this attempt at large-scale testing is that “everybody’s getting together and trying to do something cooperative and innovative,” said George Annas, director of the center for health law, ethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health.
“If you wanted to be cruel, you could say this is a publicity stunt,” Annas said.
The program certainly won COVAXX a lot of good publicity, along with gratitude from local residents — at least initially.
And a resort town in Wyoming is following suit. John Goettler, president of St. John’s Health Foundation in Jackson, said his organization is spending “less than $20,000” on COVAXX tests for about 500 health professionals and first responders. Goettler said Jackson resident Dakin Sloss, a hedge fund owner listed as another member of COVAXX’s leadership team, helped secure the tests. Testing is set to begin next week, and the test will be processed at a local lab, rather than in New York.
But in Ouray County, adjacent to San Miguel County, officials decided against such testing even before the Telluride suspension.
The cost “would shoot a hole in my budget for at least the next two years,” said Ouray County public health director Tanner Kingery.
But that wasn’t the only concern, Kingery said. It would have required a large supply of precious masks and other personal protective equipment, he said, while potentially exposing health care workers and community members to the virus.
Dr. Andrew Yeowell, an emergency room physician and Ouray County EMS medical director, also was concerned that negative tests might give people a false sense of security. If people with negative tests felt emboldened to go out in the community and interact with others, he said, it could undermine the county’s advisory to stay home.
“If you’re having symptoms or feel sick, stay home,” Kingery added. “That guidance doesn’t really change if you have a positive test.”
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened. published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/
0 notes
dinafbrownil · 4 years
Text
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.
In late March, residents of the Colorado town of Telluride and surrounding San Miguel County stood in line, along marked spots spaced 6 feet apart, to have their blood drawn by medical technicians wearing Tyvek suits, face shields and gloves for a new COVID-19 test.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tests for the virus that causes the respiratory illness have been in short supply since the outbreak began, this was a new type of test. It wasn’t to see who was sick right now. It was an antibody test that would assess who had been exposed and how widespread the virus was in the community to inform decisions about managing the outbreak.
When part-time Telluride residents and United Biomedical Inc. co-CEOs Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese had offered to provide their company’s newly developed COVID-19 antibody tests for free to not just Telluride, but all of San Miguel County too, more than 6,000 of the county’s estimated 8,000 residents jumped at the chance.
“People really want to be part of it,” said Donna Fernald, a home health nurse who was tested the first day.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.
Sign Up
Please confirm your email address below:
Sign Up
The widespread testing was an experiment in this community best known for its tony ski resort and summer music festivals. But it also served as a model for what, perhaps, could be possible everywhere to guard against the spread of the disease.
“This was a gift and an opportunity,” said San Miguel County spokesperson Susan Lilly.
That was the original plan, anyway. But on Tuesday, the grand experiment with bold aspirations appeared to fall apart. Lilly put out a statement announcing that testing was being “delayed indefinitely due to United Biomedical Inc.’s reduced ability to process the tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Lilly declined to comment on the decision.
The test that Hu and Reese’s company had promoted as “fast — results in two hours” had slowed to a virtual halt. The company had initially told the county to expect results within 48 to 72 hours after the samples arrived at the company’s New York lab. Results from tests conducted March 26 and 27 were announced April 1, but results from subsequent tests have still not come in.
More From The Mountain States
View More
A San Miguel County Department of Public Health and Environment press release quoted a company statement that blamed the delay on operations and the majority of staff being located in New York, where the pandemic has hit especially hard. The press release issued Tuesday said the company is aiming to resume processing the estimated 4,000 outstanding tests from the first round of testing.
But with only a fraction of the results in so far, and additional testing in question, the COVAXX testing appears to be yet another example of the chaotic response to the coronavirus crisis gone wrong.
A Different Kind Of Test
The test that Hu and Reese donated to the Telluride community is an antibody test developed by COVAXX, a newly formed subsidiary of their New York-based United Biomedical. It’s one of more than 30 commercially available tests without Food and Drug Administration approval under flexible rules adopted to address the COVID-19 pandemic. So far only one antibody test has received official FDA approval — a test made by Cellex, which uses just a pinprick of blood and produces results in about 15 minutes.
Antibody tests are fundamentally different than the CDC swab tests currently used to make official diagnoses. Where the swab test looks for the virus’s genetic material to determine active infections, an antibody test looks for antibodies in a person’s blood that show an immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine, said the test can’t tell whether the person is currently sick or infectious.
The plan in Telluride was for participants to be tested twice, two weeks apart, with the COVAXX test because it can take a while for someone infected to show up as positive when measuring antibodies.
The COVAXX website claims its test has 100% sensitivity (that’s the test’s ability to find antibodies to the virus) and 100% specificity (a measure of how good the test is at differentiating this novel coronavirus’ antibodies from other antibodies).
But, Garry said, no test is perfect. And creating an antibody test for the virus being called SARS-CoV-2 is “tricky,” he said, because it needs to distinguish among several seasonal coronaviruses. Furthermore, he added, the COVAXX test is a peptide assay, which he said typically is not very sensitive.
“We know 100% is an almost impossible bar to reach,” Garry said. “It kind of raises some red flags.”
In an interview with KHN before the Telluride program stopped, Hu said that “I always hesitate when I say 100%,” but she said that the company validated the test against 900 samples collected before the COVID-19 outbreak, with no false positives. She added the test also correctly produced positive results from blood samples that have been verified as positive through other tests.
Theoretically, having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 could make a person immune to the virus, but how robust this immunity is and how long it might last remain open questions. The big promise behind testing a whole community is that if one can identify people who have been infected and recovered (or never gotten sick in the first place), one can safely send them back to work or out in the community, Reese said.
“It’s absolutely my goal to make this standard for how we get the country back to a new normal,” Reese had said before the test was suspended. “If we tested everyone in the whole country and were prepared to do it twice, you would know exactly when you would be back at functioning — everybody back at work.”
Reese isn’t alone in his excitement. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman invested an undisclosed amount of capital into COVAXX through his Pershing Square Foundation, and bestselling author and XPrize founder Dr. Peter Diamandis is listed as part of the COVAXX leadership team on the company’s website. Diamandis presents a fawning interview with Hu and Reese in a widely shared YouTube video, which does not disclose his relationship with the company. Neither responded to requests for comment.
Testing Results
In all, about 6,000 of San Miguel residents were tested at three locations across the county, which covers about 1,300 square miles. As of Monday, only 1,631 of the tests had been processed, with eight (0.5%) of them deemed positive, 25 (1.5%) “borderline” and 1,598 (98%) negative. Borderline results indicate the person may be in the early stages of producing antibodies, Lilly said.
Yet the single tests alone can’t provide a clear picture of how many people have been exposed.
As of Thursday, a total of 11 cases in San Miguel County had been identified with standard swab tests. Officials continue to recommend that all residents practice social distancing and that those experiencing symptoms practice further isolation to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
One way to look at this attempt at large-scale testing is that “everybody’s getting together and trying to do something cooperative and innovative,” said George Annas, director of the center for health law, ethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health.
“If you wanted to be cruel, you could say this is a publicity stunt,” Annas said.
The program certainly won COVAXX a lot of good publicity, along with gratitude from local residents — at least initially.
And a resort town in Wyoming is following suit. John Goettler, president of St. John’s Health Foundation in Jackson, said his organization is spending “less than $20,000” on COVAXX tests for about 500 health professionals and first responders. Goettler said Jackson resident Dakin Sloss, a hedge fund owner listed as another member of COVAXX’s leadership team, helped secure the tests. Testing is set to begin next week, and the test will be processed at a local lab, rather than in New York.
But in Ouray County, adjacent to San Miguel County, officials decided against such testing even before the Telluride suspension.
The cost “would shoot a hole in my budget for at least the next two years,” said Ouray County public health director Tanner Kingery.
But that wasn’t the only concern, Kingery said. It would have required a large supply of precious masks and other personal protective equipment, he said, while potentially exposing health care workers and community members to the virus.
Dr. Andrew Yeowell, an emergency room physician and Ouray County EMS medical director, also was concerned that negative tests might give people a false sense of security. If people with negative tests felt emboldened to go out in the community and interact with others, he said, it could undermine the county’s advisory to stay home.
“If you’re having symptoms or feel sick, stay home,” Kingery added. “That guidance doesn’t really change if you have a positive test.”
from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/a-colorado-ski-community-planned-to-test-everyone-for-covid-19-heres-what-happened/
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johnvonstach · 6 years
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Straightforward Answers On Primary Factors For Vs Products Inc
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Solar power has grown increasingly popular as of late. Both commercial and residential properties find solar energy helps them cut electricity costs. Since there’s very little to no maintenance involved with solar energy, people worldwide are going green. The article that follows will give you solar energy information so you will better understand what it can do for you.
The power produced by solar panels depends on how many you install and their efficiency. Do your homework and determine through your calculations how to get the most out of your panels. You could actually save money by purchasing a small number of efficient panels.
Do not think that using solar energy must mean a full roof renovation. You should be able to use solar powered lights everywhere outside your home. Your outdoor lights can keep shining all night, except maybe during the longest winter nights, using the charge they stored from the sun that day.
Once your solar-powered system has generated energy, how will you store it? A quality battery is something that you should look into to facilitate proper storage.
You should always have a lease transfer option if you lease the solar energy system versus purchasing it outright. This is very important because if you sell your home, you could be stuck paying for a lease on a solar unit that you cannot use. Having the transfer of lease option can get you out of your contract and allow the new homeowners to enjoy the benefits.
If you install solar panels, be sure to have a backup system in place in case they malfunction. Depending on your situation you might want to stay connected with the local power grid, or invest in a generator for when problems occur with your system. Test your generator on a regular basis and make sure it can generate enough power for your entire household.
You do not need to live in a very sunny area to reap the benefits of solar energy. Direct sunlight isn’t necessary, nor is a particular temperature. In all conditions, your solar panels can significantly benefit your home.
If you aren’t ready to take the plunge into a solar power system, consider using a solar attic fan. These fans turn on when the temperature reaches a certain point. This removes heat from your home, lowering your cooling costs. As an additional incentive, they are powered by the sun, which means they themselves add nothing to your utility bill.
Verify all local and state regulations prior to installing a solar power system. You might need to obtain some permits before installing some solar panels on your property. You wouldn’t want to install a system only to have to remove it.
Take the first step toward a solar energy system by purchasing a solar-powered water heater. Usage of water heaters can make up 35% of the electric bill. The initial costs are lower than a solar power set-up, meaning you’ll start saving money right away.
Take what you have learned about solar energy and harness the power of the sun for your benefit. This option can save you a lot of money and help the environment in the process. Put to use the information that you have gathered on solar panels today.
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Standard features are many, including advanced stability control, sport tuned suspension, blind-spot driver side mirror, rear view safety camera, four wheel ABS disc brakes, all the airbags and extras like hill start assist and even a dual stage rear cargo area Our GT featured two options, including a recommended $1,800 Style Package that moves the safety factor up a few notches thanks to blind spot and rear cross traffic and then adds leather shifter, keyless entry/start, driver power seat, dual temperature controls and heated front seats. If you want the higher tech safety enhancements, like smart cruise, lane departure and collision avoidance, they are available on the GT Sport model only. The second option our GT featured is a $4,300 Tech Package that features a seven-speaker Infinity stereo system with subwoofer, eight-inch touchscreen with navigation, heated front and rear seats, all Blue Link connection features with complimentary three-year subscription, electronic parking brake, power sunroof, Smartphone charging pad, auto dim rear view mirror with BlueLink, Homelink and Compass features and ventilated cooling seats. It’s expensive, but if you are into the latest in higher-tech features you’ll appreciate everything you receive. Underneath, Hyundai has tweaked the suspension a bit to allow a more serene (less bumpy) handling characteristic, although not to the point where it becomes too soft. You’ll notice GT’s handling positives in tighter turns or while navigating a nice country road. If you opt for the GT Sport, Elantra incorporates the coil over MacPherson front struts with an advanced multi-link independent rear for even better handling. Traction on the GT comes thanks to Nexen 17-inch tires on good looking alloy wheels while GT Sport comes with 18-inch rubber. Important numbers include a wheelbase of 104.3 inches, 2,943 lb. curb weight, 24.9 to 55.1 cu. ft. of cargo space, 34.8 turn diameter, and a 14 gallon fuel tank. In summary, regardless of badge on the car and a few inches of wheelbase dimension, Hyundai Elantras are some of the most popular consumer choices based on affordability, owner reliability and return on investment. Add the industry best 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, and you’ve got as winning combination. The new front-drive Elantra GT Hatchback is on sale now at your area Hyundai dealer. Likes: New design, cargo space, price, interior, engines.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.sooeveningnews.com/business/20171030/test-drive-2018-hyundai-elantra-gt
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Ideas On Picking Out Elements For Sault Ste Marie
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APH extended that date to Nov. 1. “We don’t really see a point in continuing to extend indefinitely,” said Bouma. River Valley Park owner Harjeet Singh Dusanjh “needs to have a plan for disposing the sewage.” Dusanjh, who couldn’t be reached for comment, submitted an application on Oct. 13 to MOECC to install a new sewage system. Public comments are being accepted until early December. “We’ve been waiting for a long time now and we haven’t seen the movement on that,” said Bouma of the paperwork from Dusanjh that MOECC needs to accept. “Seeking and approval are two different things.” If the provincial ministry approves River Valley’s application, and APH sees signs work “will definitely begin,” residents may be able to remain at the trailer park. APH is not setting an exact date for when it wants to see work start. Weather will dictate when improvements can be made, says Bouma. The health unit contacted Dusanjh with its decision. Signs were posted at River Valley Trailer Park on Thursday. Sewage is being pumped regularly, but it’s being entirely cleared, said Bouma. That means waste water is still entering the ground.
http://www.saultstar.com/2017/11/03/no-more-extensions-for-river-valley-aph
VPOWERENERGY|130 Hood St, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6C 6E5, Canada|http://vpowerenergy.com|+1 705-759-3899|John Stach VSP North America
Discovering The Answers To Plans In Solar Power Sault Ste Marie
Most people do not know very much about solar energy. Are you thinking about using it at home or for your business? Does this sound like you? If so, this information should serve you well as you prepare to make this change. You can discover more about solar energy with the tips below.
The amount of power you can produce with your solar energy system depends on the number of panels you purchase and on how efficient these panels are. Do the math and figure what you require. If you can use less solar panels, think about buying the higher performance panels.
Start out small when you begin using solar power. Purchase a few solar energy lights for landscape lighting to help save energy and protect our planet. You should not have any problem finding these lights at a store near you. Installing these isn’t terribly difficult, you just place them where you want them.
If you perform regular maintenance on your solar power system, it will function well for a long time. Inspect and clean your panels on a regular basis. If you need help cleaning and inspecting, a professional can be used.
If you want to go solar partially, check out small-scale applications of solar power. There are two ways that you can accomplish this. You can find small-scale panels to prop on your window to recharge electronics. Second, purchase solar powered camping products like lanterns or stoves. Money is saved bit by bit.
There are many different types of solar energy systems including a panel system that tracks the sun. This type of system tracks the sun’s movement across the entire day, and even the entire year. Initially, it may cost a lot more than a fixed system, but it will produce more energy.
You can get tax credits from your government for using solar energy. In fact, you may get a 30% rebate on your purchase price. To become aware whether these incentives are offered in your area, look for information online, or contact a local representative.
Solar photovoltaic panels are a great option to consider to maximize your savings. Five hours of sunlight will lead to the best power output. By using solar water heating, you can heat a swimming pool for cheaper.
Most people do not know that having a solar energy system does not require a power grid. You, yourself, can get it work, making your family more independent than your neighbors. This means that you’re not going to have to deal with power bills every month and your service doesn’t have to be set up if you decide to move.
If you do not want to make a total commitment to solar power, think about using some solar-energized attic fans. These fans have temperature sensors that turn the fan on immediately when the attic reaches a certain temperature. This gets rid of extra heat, which will reduce the costs of cooling your home. Also because it’s run by solar energy, you won’t have to pay for the electricity it creates.
The above piece has given you tips you need to start using solar power for your business or home. You ought to now better understand the benefits solar energy offers. Use the information you’ve just read and make the switch to solar today, you won’t regret it.
To read more about vpowerenergy portable solar panel generator Sault Ste Marie visit http://www.wmfe.org/intersection-solar-energy-hurricanes/78814
The post Straightforward Answers On Primary Factors For Vs Products Inc appeared first on VSP North America.
from VSP North America https://www.johnvonstach.com/vs-products-inc/straightforward-answers-on-primary-factors-for-vs-products-inc/
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