How Accurate are the Rapid Tests? / 1 in 4 Lied About Child’s COVID Status/ How can a CO2 Sensor Help Prevent Transmission

Fetal demise and SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

Rapid Antigen Tests Have a High False Negative Rate

This study, published in January 2023, found that during Omicron, the tests correctly predicted a negative result 38% of the time. The PCR tests confirmed a positive result. They also found that children had much higher transmission rates and were more likely than adults to have a high fever.

“The FDA recommends repeat testing following a negative COVID-19 antigen test result whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms. COVID-19 antigen tests are less accurate than molecular tests and may not detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus early in an infection or in people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms.”

“The FDA's analysis to date has identified certain EUA-authorized antigen tests whose performance may be impacted by mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant and its sub-variants.”

To see the list of tests that they say have reduced capacity, follow this link here. The last update was on 12/29/2022, so we don’t have any updates regarding the XBB.1.5 variant.

FDA removed the positive test requirement for Paxlovid and Lagevrio

In the beginning of February 2023, the FDA removed the positive test requirement for Paxlovid and Lagevrio for certain children and adults at risk of progressing to severe COVID because the FDA recognized that in “rare” instances, patients may have a negative test result but symptoms and a recent known exposure to COVID-19. For more information, see the updated Paxlovid and Lagevrio fact sheets for health care providers.

This suggests the FDA’s faith in the tests has declined even further. We need updates on the efficacy of the tests against the XBB variants. This is one more layer of failure by our less and less trusted FDA and CDC. They must improve their speed to maintain accurate information with a virus that is evolving faster than they can keep up. Why is it evolving so fast? The CDC guidelines removing all mitigation measures have allowed for more transmission, and higher viral loads when exposed. This causes more infections and infections that last longer, which leads to more mutations and recombinant events in which the same person has two different variants of the virus.

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Study on Ventilation Rates and N-95 mask Use

Ventilation is very important, but most schools don't have enough ventilation for what is needed. Masks significantly reduced the amount of ventilation necessary to prevent transmission.

“Association between the infection probability of COVID-19 and ventilation rates: An update for SARS-CoV-2 variants”, published in October 2022, concluded that “If the infector and susceptible person wore N95 masks, the required ventilation rates decreased to about 1/100 of the values required without masks, which can be achieved in most typical scenarios.”

“An air purifier was ineffective for reducing transmission when used in scenarios without masks.” “Preventing prolonged exposure times in confined spaces remains critical in reducing the risk of airborne transmission for highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants.”

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1 in 4 Lied About Child’s COVID Status

A nationwide survey found that one in every four parents misled others about their child's COVID status, vaccination, and other details. This is from an article posted on USnews.com

About 43% said they didn’t tell others that their kids had COVID because they didn’t want them to miss school, and about 35% said they didn’t let the school or anyone know their child had COVID because they couldn’t afford to miss work.

“Researchers said this deception could have contributed to the spread of the infection and led to high rates of hospitalization and death.”

Researchers said officials need to develop policies and technologies that don’t depend on the honor system or jeopardize privacy to protect public health.

“We need to do a better job of providing support mechanisms like paid sick leave for family illness so that parents don’t feel like their only option is to engage in misrepresentation or non-adherence to public health guidelines during a future infectious disease outbreak that matches or exceeds the magnitude of COVID-19,”

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Fetal demise and SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

This may be rare, but if it can happen to the three women in this study, then it will likely happen to more. The three women didn’t have any prior health issues. COVID infected the placenta.

“SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to infect the placenta and cause direct damage that could lead to malperfusion, dysfunction, and placental failure, with deleterious outcomes for the growing fetus.”

Pregnant women should take every precaution to avoid a COVID infection.

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If you didn’t read this yet, then now is the time.

COVID May Be Causing Irreversible Damage to Children’s Immune Systems

COVID May Be Causing Irreversible Damage to Children’s Immune Systems - COVID's Life in 5 Steps

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COVID Is Airborne.

How can a CO2 Sensor Help Prevent Transmission

When people exhale, approximately 4-5% is CO2. If we are in a poorly ventilated space that can build up. Measuring CO2 in a room tells us how much air has been breathed in and exhaled.  

Why is ventilation important?

Before COVID, we already knew that students in schools with better ventilation did better on tests, missed less school, and had less asthma and other breathing problems. Other studies show that for every dollar an employer spends to improve ventilation, they get back more in increased employee productivity and fewer sick days. All of this happened before COVID, but it is even more important now.

Ventilation equipment that we depend on to bring in fresh air often stops working and no one notices. With a CO2 sensor, you can check to see if something needs to be fixed right away.

What should the CO2 levels be?

CO2 levels between 1,000 ppm -2,500 ppm can make you tired, make it hard to concentrate, and make you feel uncomfortable. (4) This line is often crossed in classrooms. Your kids might be tired not because of the subject or the teacher, but because there isn't enough oxygen.

ASHRAE, an organization that has been responsible for setting ventilation rates in buildings, has stated that CO2 levels below 1000 ppm has long been considered an indicator of good air quality but what is meant by good?

" CO2 concentrations in outdoor air typically range from 300 to 500 ppm. Thus indoor CO2 concentrations of 1000 to 1200 ppm in spaces housing sedentary people is an indicator that a substantial majority of visitors entering the space will be satisfied with respect to human bioeffluents (body odor). " (5)

So by good, they mean you won't necessarily notice other peoples body odor. We are on a mission to significantly limit transmission of a highly contagious airborne virus.    

The French High Council of Public Health recommends a threshold of 800 ppm in all public buildings due to COVID. Levels above 800 ppm require action improving ventilation or reducing occupancy. "The HCSP indicates that the air change rate can be easily approximated by measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the air at representative points and periods during occupancy. A CO2 concentration above a threshold of 800 ppm should in all cases lead to the room not being occupied and to action being taken in terms of ventilation/air renewal and/or reducing the number of people admitted to the premises of an ERP." (6)

In France, over 800 ppm requires clearing the room. It should no longer be occupied.  The U.K. adopted that standard in 2021, although all records of it have been removed today. 800 ppm is the absolute maximum therefore, the goal should be no more than 600 ppm to ensure enough ventilation.  

In the past, 800 ppm to 1,000ppm was relatively safe but in order to significantly reduce transmission of COVID, flu, RSV and other airborne viruses, we have to do better.  That means working to set the new standard.  Maintain CO2 levels at 600 ppm using automated sensors so this is hands off, but can be monitored via public or at least building occupants or parents in the case of children.

Disease prevention isn't the only reason to keep an eye on CO2 levels in each classroom, but if you want to stop viruses and other diseases from spreading through the air, it can help to understand and keep an eye on CO2 levels.

Clean Air for Kids

The transmission of Flu, RSV, COVID, and a number of other viruses and bacteria can be significantly reduced.

We have the technology, but we aren’t using it. We must advocate to our elected leaders. Now is the time to invest in providing clean air for kids. This could help prevent allergies, asthma, and respiratory spread viruses. Maintaining higher oxygen levels, and lower CO2 levels makes people less tired, more alert and more capable of learning. We have every reason to invest in clean air systems so lets stop with the excuses and get it done.