In 4 US state prisons, 3,300 inmates test positive, 96% without symptoms

Re:In 4 US state prisons, 3,300 inmates test positive, 96% w... by KaiserPro on Sunday April 26, 2020 @08:19AM (#22986610)

> but only works reliably in the early stages

No, it only works if there is enough virus to be detected. If you are infected, you will have a high enough count to be detected. Each type of PCR test is highly selective. The point of them is that they can differentiate between many types of virus, depending on how its setup.

> Antibody tests only work after several days of infection

Yes. Depending on the type of test, and how its done. it can be up to a month before these tests are accurate.

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Re:In 4 US state prisons, 3,300 inmates test positive, 96% w... by gridlockd on Sunday April 26, 2020 @09:15AM (#22986911)

In principle yes, but The PCR test is usually a throat swab, where detectable amounts often disappear after a few days, even in severely symptomatic cases.

This is the reason why China started to accept clinical diagnosis like chest scans, causing a sudden big spike in cases.

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