Overall finds that less than 2% of their sampled population were positive or an intermediate for viral exposure, suggesting they had contact with the virus and produced antibodies. 98% negative.

This is the first data I've seen of this kind and will need more samples from different locations of course, but really hurts the idea that a large number of us have been exposed and we didn't know.



San Miguel County Public Health officials announced today that less than 1 percent of the COVID-19 blood tests done last Thursday and Friday were positive for antibodies and 97% of these groups tested negative.

Positive results on the first test indicate the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in the blood. This means that the individual has been exposed to COVID-19 and may or may not have ever experienced symptoms.

Another 2%, although technically considered negative, were "indeterminate," showing a high-signal flash meaning they have an increased chance of converting to positive.

Dr. Sharon Grundy, County Medical Officer said, "These results should alert people that this virus is here. We need to take our public health directives seriously and shelter in place and practice physical distancing."

Combining the 645 first responders, healthcare providers, and their families who were tested earlier with these new results, less than 2% are positive or indeterminate and 98% are negative.

Dr. Diana Koelliker, Deputy Medical Officer said, "The course of this pandemic is very much in the hands of our community. Your behavior will steer its trajectory."

https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=511

counter point

Ranger222 said:

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Overall finds that less than 2% of their sampled population were positive or an intermediate for viral exposure, suggesting they had contact with the virus and produced antibodies. 98% negative.

This is the first data I've seen of this kind and will need more samples from different locations of course, but really hurts the idea that a large number of us have been exposed and we didn't know.



San Miguel County Public Health officials announced today that less than 1 percent of the COVID-19 blood tests done last Thursday and Friday were positive for antibodies and 97% of these groups tested negative.

Positive results on the first test indicate the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in the blood. This means that the individual has been exposed to COVID-19 and may or may not have ever experienced symptoms.

Another 2%, although technically considered negative, were "indeterminate," showing a high-signal flash meaning they have an increased chance of converting to positive.

Dr. Sharon Grundy, County Medical Officer said, "These results should alert people that this virus is here. We need to take our public health directives seriously and shelter in place and practice physical distancing."

Combining the 645 first responders, healthcare providers, and their families who were tested earlier with these new results, less than 2% are positive or indeterminate and 98% are negative.

Dr. Diana Koelliker, Deputy Medical Officer said, "The course of this pandemic is very much in the hands of our community. Your behavior will steer its trajectory."

https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=511

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I'm confused by your conclusion? 2% would mean 6.5MM in the US have had it or a little over 23x the confirmed case load.

cone said:

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counter point

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I'm very interested in these tests, and the results, but I'm still in the wait and see mode. For the referenced tweet, only 60 residents tested and this is an early form of the antibody test and accuracy remains to be seen. Some additional from a translated article:

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What happens in Castiglione d'Adda? There is a mystery of the coronavirus that intrigues scholars: no infected, no inpatient. Then, by pure chance, thanks to a blood collection carried out in the village for this reason, the surprise: out of 60 citizens examined, 40 tested positive for the virus, even if they were not aware of it. No symptoms, no diseases. They are all asymptomatic : when they came into contact with the disease, they did not develop it. Not only that: they also produced antibodies, as if they had been vaccinated. We talked about it with Margherita Longo, who deals with clinical microbiology, virology and diagnostics for bio-emergencies at the Sacco Hospital in Milan.
How do you explain what happened in Castiglione d'Adda? How come everyone in the same country? Is there anything that escapes?

We can say with certainty that many aspects of this pandemic are still unclear, as the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly pointed out. However, we know from the experience gained in these weeks that many people have contracted the infection in an asymptomatic, that is, silent, or paucisymptomatic way, with few and sometimes minor illnesses. For this reason, it is very difficult to think of a mass screening, although some have invoked it for the inhabitants of limited areas, such as this location, which was among the first to be involved in the Sars Cov-2 cases in the end of February. Others, as we well know, have developed a very serious disease, and unfortunately many of these have died.
Can we say that in Castiglione d'Adda the ordinances of isolation have been respected with particular attention?
Physical spacing was certainly the most important measure put in place at a time when the spread of the virus had already taken place, perhaps for weeks. We have also learned from what has happened that it is an essentially respiratory transmission virus, and this explains why there were initially outbreaks that were limited, and with a high degree of contagiousness; Unfortunately, the emergency rooms worked initially as transmitters of the infection, explaining, among other things, the number of cases among health workers.

These people developed the antibodies as if they were vaccinated. Does this normally happen in cases of flu viruses?
Recall that the coronavirus in question is not a flu virus, although some symptoms may be similar to those that occur during the course of influenza, but as for all bacterial and viral infections, those who contract the disease and overcome it, as well as those is vaccinated - but remember that for the virus in question there is still no vaccine - antibodies are produced in response to contact with the microbiological agent. The question of serological tests, i.e. the search for antibodies to Sars Cov-2 developed in those who contracted the disease, is from my point of view, the microbiological one, very delicate and still under evaluation, as also reported by Amcli , the Italian Clinical Microbiologists Association.
By studying their antibodies can you get to a possible vaccine?
The production and introduction of a vaccine to protect against Sars Cov-2 infection requires a study and experimentation process that is based above all on the knowledge and composition of the virus, rather than on the characteristics of the serum of patients who have produced antibodies in response to disease.
The 40 positive people are now in quarantine, but until a few days ago they could move and go to work. They made the swab and tested negative, but in the meantime they may have developed the virus and become healthy carriers. Can we all be healthy carriers without knowing it? And the swab, made only once, is obviously not enough? Should it be done several times?
The problem is this: there is the possibility of transmitting the infection even from 4 days before the onset of symptoms, in the so-called incubation phase, as well as in the following days, when the person has clear symptoms of infection. The research of the virus genome with biomolecular PCR method, performed on a swab, remains at the moment the fundamental and reference diagnostic test, even if there may be false negatives, due for example to a sampling (nasopharyngeal swab) not performed in a all correct or with a very low viral load. Certainly the cases of patients with suggestive clinic for Sars Cov-2 are also subjected several times to the execution of the nasopharyngeal swab, which sometimes is subsequently positive. Swab requests should still be evaluated by the clinician.
At the hospital of Manerbio, in Brescia, the antibody-rich plasma of those who have recovered is being tested on some patients. Is it the right way?
I am unable to make a judgment on what is still being studied by the scientific community, but the assumption is there, because for various other infections, viral and bacterial, immunoglobulins are used, i.e. the antibodies produced in response to an infection. Think, for example, of immunoglobulins for measles, administered to pregnant patients without antibodies in the case of an ongoing or recent infection, or immunoglobulins for tetanus, in cases of suspected wounds in patients without a vaccine certification against tetanus .

1% would be great but I suspect it would be higher than that in larger urban settings.
1% would mean that over 4 million people in the USA have already joined the herd of immunity.
Based off the figures in Italy and Iceland, I would suspect that number to be closer to 20 million in the US by now.

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Sounds like San Miguel County might have a bunch of bad tests too.

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You are confusing the antibody test which does not turn positive until several days after someone is infected (antibody test) with tests to see if someone is infected. The antibody test is a blood test looking for a person's antibody response to the infection. The test to look for the virus is a nasopharyngeal swab looking for actual viral RNA. Apples v oranges. Misinformation/misunderstanding is rampant regarding COVID 19.

San Miguel also has 9 confirmed cases of COVID, while 1% of a test from population showed 8 carrying antibodies with no symptoms. Population of the county is just over 8,000. Essentially .1% of their population has tested positive with symptomatic COVID-19 compared to 1% having antibodies with no identified symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

If anything that may be good news from a small sample

this is the telluride area, for those who aren't familiar with the Western Slopes of CO.

Way under reported but somewhat understandable.

Humans are actually kicking the viruses ass more than the other way around.

We are an amazing virus killing machine.

I know its little comfort for anyone that is dealing with it personally or in their friend and family group, but we have to remain hopeful that we are conquering naturally and soon we will conquer it medically for those that need it

JDCAG (NOT Colin) said:

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BlackGoldAg2011 said:

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Ranger222 said:

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Overall finds that less than 2% of their sampled population were positive or an intermediate for viral exposure, suggesting they had contact with the virus and produced antibodies. 98% negative.

This is the first data I've seen of this kind and will need more samples from different locations of course, but really hurts the idea that a large number of us have been exposed and we didn't know.



San Miguel County Public Health officials announced today that less than 1 percent of the COVID-19 blood tests done last Thursday and Friday were positive for antibodies and 97% of these groups tested negative.

Positive results on the first test indicate the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in the blood. This means that the individual has been exposed to COVID-19 and may or may not have ever experienced symptoms.

Another 2%, although technically considered negative, were "indeterminate," showing a high-signal flash meaning they have an increased chance of converting to positive.

Dr. Sharon Grundy, County Medical Officer said, "These results should alert people that this virus is here. We need to take our public health directives seriously and shelter in place and practice physical distancing."

Combining the 645 first responders, healthcare providers, and their families who were tested earlier with these new results, less than 2% are positive or indeterminate and 98% are negative.

Dr. Diana Koelliker, Deputy Medical Officer said, "The course of this pandemic is very much in the hands of our community. Your behavior will steer its trajectory."

https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=511

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I'm confused by your conclusion? 2% would mean 6.5MM in the US have had it or a little over 23x the confirmed case load.

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There are many posters on this board that believe a large number, if not close to a majority, of the country has already had it. Compared to that, 2% is very small.

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Gotcha. What's interesting is that 2%/6.5MM infected number would put us in line with a CFR in the 1.5-2% range based on my analysis here:
https://texags.com/forums/84/topics/3102477/last#last
Which is also in the range of what S Korea is seeing with the majority of their cases closed out and their wide spread testing to try to accurately capture the true infection number.