Quote:
Originally Posted by DWB
Did this guy actually get three tests?
One PCR that he failed, then a Western Blot to confirm that positive result. No one will say if it confirmed it or not. Big secret still. Bury this one with Kennedy.
Then tested again and we're told he tested negative. I assume it was another PCR. You would not use a Western Blot to confirm a Neg test, so it is just the main test.
So is this one negative test all everyone is going on, or was there a 3rd PCR test given that he passed? Like the best two of three. Otherwise, you're just rolling 50/50, no?
Anyone know? Rather, anyone willing to talk about it?
Then what really bakes my noodle is, all the talk of the "false positive" test before any more testing. Because that is what it turned out to be. So did he go through this already, test positive once, then test negative and worked? If he knew he had a false positive test, it would only be that if he had another test.
I'll make some calls, see if we can get this info boxed up and stored at Area 51.
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I can't answer to the specifics of this case, but my understanding is that if a PCR-DNA test comes back with a preliminary positive result, it require a confirmatory test, which is what they use the Western Blot test for (the two tests look at the virus differently, and combined produce a more complete analysis and more reliable result).
There has been a fair amount of parsing of words and semantical gymnastics going on, which is why I have been calling for an industry set of protocols to be adopted, so that everyone is on the same page.
For example, I thought before a person with a preliminary HIV positive result could truly be considered negative, they actually would have to go through a few more follow-up tests at intervals spread out over a period of weeks. But since the Western Blot has reportedly come back negative, the message that is being filtered out is everything is all clear, nothing to worry about folks, everyone back in the pool.
An outbreak in the industry affects us all, not just the producers directly involved, and most importantly it affects the performers in this industry, many of whom have already had their faith in this biz rocked by the recent PWL BS.
If we want to restore faith and make things right (and even prove that we learned a lesson from this whole ordeal), then we need to do more than issue empty press releases and slap each other on the back for dodging another bullet.
AHF is not going to slow down in it's efforts to have a vote on mandatory condoms on the ballot in LA. If the industry is against this, particularly the LA-based industry, then it better start doing something proactive about it, or the industry will pay a bigger price later...
ADG