PCR False Positives?

[1990C4S]

Has anyone here seen PCR false positives?

A friend of mine who is a Dr in Boston (works at a 'prestigious' university) was vaccinated in January, but tested positive last week. He has zero symptoms.

A subsequent 'instant' test was negative, so now he is positive according to the most reliable test, and negative according to the most unreliable test.

He is quarantining and will be tested again, and to see if he's carrying a variant.

Possibilities include a false positive PCR, the vaccine did not work and he's asymptomatic, vaccine worked but he's asymptomatic with a variant...

Working where he does I expect a pretty thorough investigation.

[cabmandone]

From what I've read, the vaccine doesn't guarantee you don't get infected. If infected after being vaccinated, it is supposed to reduce the severity. It seems like he could be asymptomatic with the original strain. Should be interesting to see what they find through further testing on your friend.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2021/02/26/could-vaccination-cause-me-to-test-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=56c63f8b38b3

[javadog]

How many amplification cycles were used in the test? If it was more than about 24, he tested positive for dead virus DNA fragments in his system.

[thor66]

how careful were they with handling the swab samples?

[Chocaholic]

There are a few “knowns” about his virus.

1. It will either kill you, mess you up, cause mild discomfort or do nothing at all. We know that for a fact.

2. The vaccine will protect you from the virus, or not. It will prevent you from spreading the virus, or not. It will have long term dangerous side effects, or not. It will have short term side effects, or not. We know this for certain.

3. Variants are even more transmissible, or not. They are more virulent, or not. They are addressed by the vaccines, or not. This also, is certain.

4. The best prevention is to stay indoors and avoid other people, or not. Wear a mask (or two), or not. Send kids to school, or not. These are well known.

5. HCQ and Ivermectin are two cheap, readily available drugs to effectively treat COVID, or not. If you feel sick, you should stay home until you struggle to breathe, or not. We know these things for certain.

6. The MSM, CDC and the WHO are professional organizations with no political position on best practices regarding COVID, or not. As such, we can depend on their guidance to make informed decisions for our families, or not.

With all we know about this pandemic, it’s amazing we have yet to beat it.

Or not.

[Tobra]

Yes, I have seen a lot of false positives

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Yes, I have seen a lot of false positives

Plenty of folks have seen false positives... but PCR false positive?

[javadog]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Plenty of folks have seen false positives... but PCR false positive?

Absolutely. Back when they were running around 40 cycles of amplification, the false positive rate was something like 97% of all tests.

That’s why people like me didn’t pay any attention whatsoever to the number of “new cases“ each week.

It was essentially all bull****. No mistake, the WHO and CDC absolutely knew that at the time. They have since been forced to reduce the recommended number of cycles, because too much information made it out to the sheep. Then the sheep started asking questions.

[Chocaholic]

Might explain all those positive cases with no symptoms.

[javadog]

Gee, ya’ think?

That’s why the number of new cases being reported became more important than the number of hospitalizations or deaths, because not enough people were being hospitalized or dying to give rise to the level of panic they needed. They needed much bigger numbers to scare the public and the inflated number of cases from false positives provided just the ticket.

If people had realized, as I did, long ago that the number of cases was essentially complete bull****, the public would’ve revolted long ago.

Go out, live your life, the real pandemic is over. All that is left are the slight remnants of a seasonal disease and a bunch of baseless fear.

[Arizona_928]

So if symptomatic (no smell/ taste), is 14 days of quarantine from onset of symptoms still valid?

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by javadog

Absolutely. Back when they were running around 40 cycles of amplification, the false positive rate was something like 97% of all tests.

That’s why people like me didn’t pay any attention whatsoever to the number of “new cases“ each week.

It was essentially all bull****. No mistake, the WHO and CDC absolutely knew that at the time. They have since been forced to reduce the recommended number of cycles, because too much information made it out to the sheep. Then the sheep started asking questions.

Got a link for some info on that? I'd like to read a bit more about it.

And have you talked to MIT to them know they're doing it wrong?
"The PCR test analyzes samples by amplifying viral RNA in cycles. Most tests, like the Broad Institute test used by MIT, use a 40-cycle protocol. If the virus isn’t detected within 40 amplification cycles, the test result is negative. If viral RNA is detected in 40 cycles or less, the PCR machine stops running, and the test is positive. Because you received a positive result, we know that the test detected the virus in your sample by the time it reached its 40-cycle limit."

More: "A positive test that comes back positive in 20 cycles contains a greater amount of virus than one requiring 40 cycles. Right now, we just call both results “positive.” But it’s obvious that the first sample came from an individual with a higher viral load. And the greater the viral load, the more contagious the patient is likely to be."

[javadog]

For your links to a discussion about cycle thresholds, the internet’s full of it. Just do a Google search, even they are not hiding it completely.[/QUOTE]

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by javadog

For your links to a discussion about cycle thresholds, the internet’s full of it. Just do a Google search, even they are not hiding it completely.

I want the one that shows 97% false at or near 40 cycles.. That's the one I care most about. When I searched I came up with the article from MIT explaining PCR and how it works. You said at 40 cycles 97% false. I didn't see that in MIT's explanation.

I don't mind the sharing of information... but the sharing of false information pisses me off pretty good. Now, I'm not saying what you stated is false.. I'm just asking you to support it the best you can so that if I'm wrong in my understanding I can be better informed.

[javadog]

Christ, you’re asking about articles I read last year. I have read a few thousand, since then. Not going to do your homework for you, sorry. It seems like it was in the news in great Britain towards the end of last year, maybe that would narrow your search.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by javadog

Christ, you’re asking about articles I read last year. I have read a few thousand, since then. Not going to do your homework for you, sorry. It seems like it was in the news in great Britain towards the end of last year, maybe that would narrow your search.

You made the claim. You should be the one that provides the supporting documentation.

[cabmandone]

Okay... now it's safe to say you're spreading false information. That's all I wanted to clear up. Have a nice day.

[javadog]

I posted a great deal about this last year.

I find it humorous that you knuckleheads think I’m going to perform some free public service and go waste the rest of my afternoon digging for stories that you could find yourself, if you made a half ass effort at it.

Guess what, *****es, you’re just not that important. Y’all can kiss my you know what.

Lol. Have a nice day.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by javadog

I posted a great deal about this last year.

I find it humorous that you knuckleheads think I’m going to perform some free public service and go waste the rest of my afternoon digging for stories that you could find yourself, if you made a half ass effort at it.

Guess what, *****es, you’re just not that important. Y’all can kiss my you know what.

What is with the name calling and attack? You made the claim. It is up to you to offer proof of said claim.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by javadog

Go out, live your life, the real pandemic is over. All that is left are the slight remnants of a seasonal disease and a bunch of baseless fear.

That's okay for some people; this person operates on children, some of whom are immuno-compromised. A slightly higher bar is required for a Dr, no?