The Atlantic: 'How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?'

[USALiberal]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/05/cdc-and-states-are-misreporting-covid-19-test-data-pennsylvania-georgia-texas/611935/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conflating the results of two different types of coronavirus tests, distorting several important metrics and providing the country with an inaccurate picture of the state of the pandemic. We’ve learned that the CDC is making, at best, a debilitating mistake: combining test results that diagnose current coronavirus infections with test results that measure whether someone has ever had the virus. The upshot is that the government’s disease-fighting agency is overstating the country’s ability to test people who are sick with COVID-19. The agency confirmed to The Atlantic on Wednesday that it is mixing the results of viral and antibody tests, even though the two tests reveal different information and are used for different reasons.

This is not merely a technical error. States have set quantitative guidelines for reopening their economies based on these flawed data points.

Several states—including Pennsylvania, the site of one of the country’s largest outbreaks, as well as Texas, Georgia, and Vermont—are blending the data in the same way. Virginia likewise mixed viral and antibody test results until last week, but it reversed course and the governor apologized for the practice after it was covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Atlantic. Maine similarly separated its data on Wednesday; Vermont authorities claimed they didn’t even know they were doing this.

The widespread use of the practice means that it remains difficult to know exactly how much the country’s ability to test people who are actively sick with COVID-19 has improved.

More at link.....

[SunSeeker]

1. This happened because Trump appointed crazy sycophant Redfield to head the CDC.

The resulting shitshow should surprise nobody.

[Thirties Child]

6. My sister says Redfield is a born-again Christian. Figures.

[Celerity]

17. CDC director Robert Redfield & other important public health officials: Pence-approved evangelicals

https://www.salon.com/2020/03/09/is-the-christian-right-now-in-charge-of-public-health-inside-the-trump-administration/

[uponit7771]

2. omfg, this is horrible, this is just horrible. CDC Positive Test Rate at the state level is a lie ..

... just a damn lie and they're not testing for CV19 anywhere around where they say they have.

This is horrible, this is just horrible

[SoonerPride]

3. "It is a badge of honor"

....To obfuscate and hide the true numbers.

[uponit7771]

4. Kick for Notice

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

5. K & R

[spanone]

7. How? Because it's part of the trump maladministration.

[cp]

8. Dumpy has killed off the CDC, too

[Caliman73]

11. Not dead yet, but on a ventilator.

The CDC can be rehabilitated, by a Democratic Administration with oversight from a Democratic Congress.

It will take a long time for people to trust the agency like before, but it could happen. We just need to have Republican NOT be in charge of ANYTHING for a few decades.

[USALiberal]

14. True! Nt

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. repeat after me. "EVERYTHING trump touches DIES. EVERYTHING."

Everyone he comes in contact with becomes filthy with his lies and dishonesty and crimes and incompetence. Everyone.

[SheltieLover]

10. K&R!

[superpatriotman]

12. Ever hear of FAITH-BASED SCIENCE?!!1?

That’s what Facebook told me.

[Celerity]

18. yes

'Flat earther' dies in rocket crash

[peggysue2]

13. This is all about obfuscating the truth, again

Trump has been thumping his chest about all the testing that's going on because he's frantic about the economy. He knows what everyone else knows: a killer recession/depression means he'll be kicked out of office. Lying is second nature for this Administration and now is evident for every agency under Trump's thumb. That includes the CDC that has also been staffed at the top by not the 'best' people but Trump lackey's.

Think about it. The CDC, the gold standard around the world, has been brought to its knees in less than 4 years. This is deliberate.

Never forget, never forgive.

[Nitram]

15. Virginia was called on this and announced it would stop the practice a week ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-antibody-covid-19-tests-northam-reopening/2020/05/14/fa9f62b0-95e4-11ea-82b4-c8db161ff6e5_story.html

[Grokenstein]

16. "Mistake"

Yo, QAnon freakazoids out there--what's your 'theory' about this?

[uponit7771]

19. Kick for Notice

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. GOPers claim you can't trust government and then set out to make it true.

Republicans are hazardous to your health.

[uponit7771]

21. Kick for Notice

[liberalla]

22. K&R