FDA gives go-ahead to Maryland bio-firm to accept orders on their COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test Kit

[mmascari]

@doumakes

For this situation, you want a very low rate of false negative results, even at the cost of an annoyingly high rate of false positive results.

False positive results in unnecessary quarantine, but it’s not as if we’re going to throw you in the hospital. Go home, stay there two weeks, call if you need something.

False negatives mean more infections.

Except, this isn’t a test to see if you’re sick “right now”. It’s a test to see if “you were sick in the past”.

A false positive would be just as bad. You’ll think this person is safe, when they’re not, could catch it later, and then infect people.

A false negative would make you think you’re still vulnerable, when you’re not.