Testing – Pandemic Pondering

Which vaccines will you need this fall? I will discuss this on Flashpoint, September 10th at 10:00 AM.

Dear loyal readers of pandemicpondering.com. I am back on Flashpoint this Sunday to discuss the vaccine needs for everyone this fall. It is appropriate to examine this topic just after Labor Day weekend given the respiratory disease challenges we face this fall, especially given some confusing and even contradictory comments in the media. So pleaseContinue reading “Which vaccines will you need this fall? I will discuss this on Flashpoint, September 10th at 10:00 AM.”

What does the future hold after COVID will be discussed on Flashpoint, May 28th at 10:00 AM.

Dear loyal readers of pandemicpondering.com. I am back on Flashpoint this Sunday to discuss the future of healthcare in the US after the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended! It is appropriate to discuss this topic on Memorial Day weekend given the tremendous losses we have all suffered and the challenges we face in theContinue reading “What does the future hold after COVID will be discussed on Flashpoint, May 28th at 10:00 AM.”

What does the future hold after COVID will be discussed on Flashpoint, May 28th at 10:00 AM.

I didn’t believe anything about COVID could upset me anymore until I heard about these folks at Boston University…

The news came out that there was an experiment at Boston University to try to make a potentially more lethal SARS-CoV-2 omicron virus. On face value this seems like an incredibly stupid idea, but with more investigation, it’s actually worse than that! There is a federal biodefense lab at Boston University (National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory)Continue reading “I didn’t believe anything about COVID could upset me anymore until I heard about these folks at Boston University…”

The new booster shots discussed on Flashpoint September 11th at 10:00 AM

Dear loyal readers of pandemicpondering.com. I am back from my first international meeting since 2019! During the interim the government has finalized plans for the new COVID-19 boosters. I will be posting on them next week, but will discuss them this Sunday at 10:00AM EDT on Flashpoint with Devin Scillian on WDIV (channel 4) inContinue reading “The new booster shots discussed on Flashpoint September 11th at 10:00 AM”

Discussion on ongoing COVID-19 deaths on Flashpoint tomorrow June 26th at 10:00 AM

To loyal readers of pandemicpondering.com. Tomorrow, I discuss the ongoing reports of deaths and COVID-19 infections. The conversation will take place at 10:00AM EDT on Flashpoint with Devin Scillian on WDIV (channel 4) in Detroit. This dialogue is important since interpreting deaths associated with COVID can be confusing. Given the changes in COVID infections andContinue reading “Discussion on ongoing COVID-19 deaths on Flashpoint tomorrow June 26th at 10:00 AM”

Discussion on the new wave of COVID-19 infections on Flashpoint tomorrow May 15th at 10:00 AM

To loyal readers of pandemicpondering.com. Tomorrow, I discuss the current increase of COVID-19 infections and how to manage our response to this situation. The conversation will take place at 10:00AM EDT on Flashpoint with Devin Scillian on WDIV (channel 4) in Detroit. This dialogue is particularly important since the immunological landscape has changed and mayContinue reading “Discussion on the new wave of COVID-19 infections on Flashpoint tomorrow May 15th at 10:00 AM”

Discussion on the new wave of COVID-19 infections on Flashpoint tomorrow May 15th at 10:00 AM

Antigen Assays: a third type of test for COVID infections.

A third type of coronavirus test has recently been introduced. This test is somewhat like the swab or PCR test, because it directly looks for the presence of COVID-19. Rather than looking for viral RNA like the PCR assay, this test looks for viral proteins (antigens). The antigen test as it is called involves theContinue reading “Antigen Assays: a third type of test for COVID infections.”

An additional problem with the national testing program.

After I published a blog post outlining the problems with the national testing program, another issue surfaced. A paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that the window of accuracy for testing people for coronavirus infection is very narrow. Patients tested too early or late after the onset of symptoms showed false negative resultsContinue reading “An additional problem with the national testing program.”