COVID-19 Reinfection

[PlatinumGuy]

They only found one guy in Nevada out of the who US.

That's for a simple reason. Most reinfections can be explained as relapses. There are very few documented reinfections, which are cases where the genome was documented to be different, ruling out a relapse.

There have since been more cases confirmed and there are dedicated sites tracking this.

[S209]

Can very well be false positive. I know people who were positive on pcr with no symptoms, retested the next day and were negetive. Same goes with antibodies, a lot of false positives.

He had a headache and tested positive. And felt better right after. Might very well be fake positive and by chance had a headache.

Im not doubting this whole reinfection thingy but I believe we are missing facts. We are going through a change of weather now which causes colds. People get a cold and they think it's reinfection. They confirm it via pcr which is possibly false.

My main problem with this reinfection thing is how come the NYT hasn't picked it up? They only found one guy in Nevada out of the who US.

It’s almost impossible to “prove” a reinfection, but they’ll be coming soon. What is your source that the PCR tests have a large number of false positives? They are *very* accurate if from a reputable company (99.5+%)

If anything, it’s more likely to be a false negative.

[ExGingi]

DW and I recently retook antibody tests. Unlike the previous antibody tests we took which just gave a binary result, the current test gave an IgG reading.  DW was over the threshold, while my number was just beneath.

I am seriously considering to seek deliberate reinfection in order to boost my IgG antibodies (and possibly get other benefits), I just need to work out the proper timing (and find someone to give it to me).

[S209]

DW and I recently retook antibody tests. Unlike the previous antibody tests we took which just gave a binary result, the current test gave an IgG reading.  DW was over the threshold, while my number was just beneath.

I am seriously considering to seek deliberate reinfection in order to boost my IgG antibodies (and possibly get other benefits), I just need to work out the proper timing (and find someone to give it to me).

And finally you see why @aygart doesn't recommend immunity bracelets.

[ilherman]

It’s almost impossible to “prove” a reinfection, but they’ll be coming soon. What is your source that the PCR tests have a large number of false positives? They are *very* accurate if from a reputable company (99.5+%)

If anything, it’s more likely to be a false negative.

As I wrote im familiar with actual false positives. While the test is extremely sensitive and I've read that it may pick up viruses which are similar to covid or old dead covid etc it's also very possible that the false positives are a result from human errors in the lab or dr office mixing up tests and names etc.

[ilherman]

That's for a simple reason. Most reinfections can be explained as relapses. There are very few documented reinfections, which are cases where the genome was documented to be different, ruling out a relapse.

This is exactly my point. Since most cases we know as reinfection might as well be relapses. Hence why I said that the cases is missing all needed facts to "confirm" a reinfection.

[S209]

As I wrote im familiar with actual false positives. While the test is extremely sensitive and I've read that it may pick up viruses which are similar to covid or old dead covid etc it's also very possible that the false positives are a result from human errors in the lab or dr office mixing up tests and names etc.

Those aren’t false positives. It very rarely pick up other viruses, hence they are called 99.5% specific. If it picks up old COVID that wouldn’t be a false positive, it would mean you had COVID at some point. The administrative errors you may have experienced are also not false positives, and they have nothing to do with COVID. That is a facility specific problem, as it would be in the case of strep or any other test occurred.

Why would you assume something is a false positive? Again, false negatives are far more likely to occur than false positives.

[S209]

This is exactly my point. Since most cases we know as reinfection might as well be relapses. Hence why I said that the cases is missing all needed facts to "confirm" a reinfection.

There weren’t any recorded cases of tests picking up old virus particles months later, only 6-10 weeks later. It’s more likely that there would be reinfections after 6 months (which was always suspected) than that there would be old virus picked up at that point (which would be surprising).

Of course, as I said, nothing is “proven” until the genome of each infection is checked. Since nobody in our community had the particles checked in a lab the first time, it’s unlikely we’ll see any “confirmed“ reinfections any time soon. But what makes you so confident that means what you think it means, not what the doctors think it means?

I’m going to take a flyer here. Were you “sure” we had herd immunity just 4 weeks ago?

[ilherman]

Those aren’t false positives. It very rarely pick up other viruses, hence they are called 99.5% specific. If it picks up old COVID that wouldn’t be a false positive, it would mean you had COVID at some point. The administrative errors you may have experienced are also not false positives, and they have nothing to do with COVID. That is a facility specific problem, as it would be in the case of strep or any other test occurred.

Why would you assume something is a false positive? Again, false negatives are far more likely to occur than false positives.

I didnt use false positive in a biological term, I used it as an overall name in cases where test results show positive does not mean reinfection.

I’m going to take a flyer here. Were you “sure” we had herd immunity just 4 weeks ago?

You did not see me talking about herd immunity. I did assume that we are not gonna go back to Pesach levels since a lot of people already had it.

As for the fact that we had a 3 month clean clean slate in brooklyn and all of the sudden it started spiking again (not reinfections - im talking about new cases) i can't find an explanation for this. Other than the fact that this virus is still very unknown.

The only explanation which I heard that makes a little sense is that its been discussed that some people have natural immunity / t-cells that protect against covid. It might have protected them from the original strain but now there is a new strain out there and their natural immunity does not protect them against this.

[aygart]

I didnt use false positive in a biological term, I used it as an overall name in cases where test results show positive does not mean reinfection.
You did not see me talking about herd immunity. I did assume that we are not gonna go back to Pesach levels since a lot of people already had it.

As for the fact that we had a 3 month clean clean slate in brooklyn and all of the sudden it started spiking again (not reinfections - im talking about new cases) i can't find an explanation for this. Other than the fact that this virus is still very unknown.

The only explanation which I heard that makes a little sense is that its been discussed that some people have natural immunity / t-cells that protect against covid. It might have protected them from the original strain but now there is a new strain out there and their natural immunity does not protect them against this.

The other explanation is that at least a few of the many baseless assumptions you used to form the prediction are wrong. The first place to check is there.

[ilherman]

The other explanation is that at least a few of the many baseless assumptions you used to form the prediction are wrong. The first place to check is there.

Which baseless assumption are you talking about?

[S209]

Which baseless assumption are you talking about?

I didn’t see you talking about anything, so I’m asking you. Did you believe we had herd immunity? Be honest, did you simply say “We’re not going to go back to Pesach levels” or did you think we had population herd immunity?

Just about every assumption you made.

Viruses come in waves, it takes time for new infections to spread in a community, doubling and doubling until they explode. This is not at all surprising to doctors.

There is zero evidence of any new strain out there.

There is no evidence of “natural immunity”, only evidence that some people did not get it when exposed to it once, and possibly some (temporary) cross-reactivity from other coronaviruses.

[gozalim]

(and find someone to give it to me).

I hear 770 is beautiful this time of year.
You can always try simchas bais...

[Lurker]

DW and I recently retook antibody tests. Unlike the previous antibody tests we took which just gave a binary result, the current test gave an IgG reading.  DW was over the threshold, while my number was just beneath.

I am seriously considering to seek deliberate reinfection in order to boost my IgG antibodies (and possibly get other benefits), I just need to work out the proper timing (and find someone to give it to me).

For a self-proclaimed cynic, you seem awfully cool about rolling the dice a second time on a virus with a less than awesome track record in your age demographic. I mean, it's not like you have people relying on you if your gamble goes south...

[ExGingi]

I hear 770 is beautiful this time of year.
You can always try simchas bais...

Unfortunately 770 isn't as crowded as it should be this time of year.

[ExGingi]

For a self-proclaimed cynic, you seem awfully cool about rolling the dice a second time on a virus with a less than awesome track record in your age demographic. I mean, it's not like you have people relying on you if your gamble goes south...

"Rolling the dice"? "Less than awesome in your age demographic"?

What are you smoking?

Did you even pay attention to what I wrote?

Let's be clear: I had COVID-19 back in March with very mild symptoms (and the positive outcome of weight loss).

I currently HAVE antibodies, though the level on the test is just below what they define as POSITIVE.

My two adult sons, one of whom had loss of taste and smell and possibly slightly more severe symptoms than I had (it's hard to judge as everything is subjective) have very low antibody count.

I would like to get exposed/reinfected in order to be able to have an abbreviated quarantine upon arrival in EY, and in order to boost my IgG immunity.

If I get reinfected I plan to self-quarantine until clear.

What exactly am I risking?

And as for the age group, while some of my friends had more severe symptoms than I did, AFAIK those that did have other health issues.

My bout with the Flu exactly a year ago was more severe than my bout with COVID-19.

[Euclid]

"Rolling the dice"? "Less than awesome in your age demographic"?

What are you smoking?

Did you even pay attention to what I wrote?

Let's be clear: I had COVID-19 back in March with very mild symptoms (and the positive outcome of weight loss).

I currently HAVE antibodies, though the level on the test is just below what they define as POSITIVE.

My two adult sons, one of whom had loss of taste and smell and possibly slightly more severe symptoms than I had (it's hard to judge as everything is subjective) have very low antibody count.

I would like to get exposed/reinfected in order to be able to have an abbreviated quarantine upon arrival in EY, and in order to boost my IgG immunity.

If I get reinfected I plan to self-quarantine until clear.

What exactly am I risking?

And as for the age group, while some of my friends had more severe symptoms than I did, AFAIK those that did have other health issues.

My bout with the Flu exactly a year ago was more severe than my bout with COVID-19.

Can you guarantee that you'll get a low viral load? That's big factor in symptom severity.

[ExGingi]

Can you guarantee that you'll get a low viral load? That's big factor in symptom severity.

There's only one thing that guaranteed: Taxes!

[yelped]

There's only one thing that guaranteed: Taxes!

And....

[ExGingi]

And....

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