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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11899468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda" source="Orion">FDA</keyword> said rapid antigen tests appeared less sensitive against <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword>, citing early lab studies.</li><li>Rapid tests are generally less accurate than PCR tests.</li></ul>Rapid antigen tests appear less sensitive to Omicron than previous variants, the Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/sars-cov-2-viral-mutations-impact-covid-19-tests#omicronvariantimpact">said Tuesday</a>."Early data suggests that antigen tests do detect the Omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity," the FDA said.The statement is based on laboratory findings, which are generally less dependable than clinical-trial results.But because clinical trials take a lot longer, laboratory findings are the "best way to evaluate true test performance in the short-term," the FDA said. People can still use the rapid tests — which are cheaper and more convenient — but should be aware of their shortcomings, the FDA said.A follow-up PCR test is much more reliable and should be used by people who have symptoms or know they have been exposed to the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword>, the FDA added.<div type="image" title="When your COVID-19 test is positive infographic." height="1793" width="2500" msid="88568239" hostid="261"></div>The news came as the White House prepared to distribute <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-free-rapid-covid-19-test-federal-government-2021-12">500,000 free rapid COVID-19 tests</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insurers-dont-have-to-retroactively-reimburse-at-home-covid-tests-2021-12">make over-the-counter kits free starting in January</a>.How well rapid tests perform against Omicron has been debated widely as the new variant has surged around the world.The <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1042688/RA_Technical_Briefing_32_DRAFT_17_December_2021_2021_12_17.pdf">UK Health Security Agency</a> previously said there was "no change in performance" of these tests against Omicron. This was also the position held by the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/sars-cov-2-viral-mutations-impact-covid-19-tests?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery#omicron-reduced">one week ago</a>.The latest run of experiments changed the agency's mind. In that batch, the FDA used live virus taken from patient samples, which is a good proxy for what is happening in the real world.<div type="image" title="Women with mask, hat and gloves holds up rapid test." height="2993" width="3991" msid="88568241" hostid="261"></div>"Although the data is preliminary, the FDA believes it is important to share with the public," Stephanie Caccomo, an FDA spokesperson, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/28/fda-antigen-tests-reduced-sensitivity-omicron-526217">told Politico</a>. "We will continue to keep the public informed if additional information comes to light."Abbott, one of the main providers of rapid tests in the US, contacted Insider to dispute the FDA findings.John M. Koval, a spokesperson for the company, said Abbott's lab analysis and customer data showed that its tests worked as well for Omicron as for other variants.Koval pointed to <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/status/1475986403611889665">a Twitter thread posted by the epidemiologist Michael Mina</a>, who said that the tests were not at fault.Instead, Mina said Omicron appeared harder to spot with tests because it caused more infection with less virus in the lab. This, he said, would be hard for any test to find.<h2>Rapid tests are generally less sensitive</h2>Even before Omicron emerged, rapid tests were known to be hit or miss.One review found that these tests were 58% accurate for those who didn't have symptoms and 72% accurate for those who did, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/false-negative-reasons-rapid-covid-test-may-show-bad-result-2021-12">Insider previously reported</a>.Timing of testing is also crucial, as it takes a couple of days for the virus to spread enough in the body to be picked up by a test, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-trust-rapid-covid-test-result-2021-12">Insider's Hilary Brueck and Shayanne Gal previously reported</a>.The best bet, according to available data, is to take <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-trust-rapid-covid-test-result-2021-12">several rapid tests over a few days</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-rapid-test-hour-before-party-not-day-before-expert-2021-12">test hours, not days, before</a> mixing with others, experts previously told Insider.That might be even more true for Omicron, given the latest data, which suggests that the viral load required to trigger an antigen test is higher with the variant than with others.Masking is still recommended in social settings, especially since vaccinated people seem more likely to carry Omicron than previous variants, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html">according to the CDC</a>.

Rapid COVID-19 tests are worse at detecting Omicron, FDA says, citing new lab data

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="39746" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gaza">Gaza</keyword>'s only COVID-19 testing facility was damaged by Israeli airstrikes on Monday, officials said.</li><li>The clinic was damaged when a nearby building was hit, forcing it to stop conducting tests.</li><li>Gaza already has a high rate of positive <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> test, and a low vaccination rate.</li></ul><keyword id="6355882" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="israel">Israel</keyword>'s airstrikes damaged the only coronavirus testing facility in Gaza, Palestinian officials said.<a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/coronavirus/2021/05/18/Israeli-strike-puts-Gaza-s-only-COVID-19-lab-out-of-action-Health-ministry">Agence France-Presse reported</a> that local authorities said the al-Rimal clinic had to stop carrying out testing after it was wrecked as part of a strike.<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-covid-ceases-operations-israel-strike">Middle East Eye reported</a> that the facility was damaged after a nearby residential building was struck, forcing testing to be suspended.Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Qidra said that Israel's strikes "threaten to undermine the efforts of the health ministry in the face of the COVID pandemic," AFP reported.AFP reported that Gaza has one of the world's highest positive coronavirus test rates, 28%.Its vaccination rate has also been <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/55800921">slow</a>, especially compared to Israel's rapid rollout.Last week UN and WHO officials in Gaza told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-covid-vaccines-un.html">The New York Times</a> they feared of a surge in cases as a result of civivlians having to cram into shelters to avoid the fighting.Israel has launched airstrikes into Gaza and Hamas, the Gaza-based militant group, has fired rockets toward Israel since last Monday. Dozens of people have died, mostly on the Palestinian side.

Israeli airstrikes wrecked the only coronavirus testing lab in Gaza

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A testing lab in Sydney wrongly told 400 people that they had tested negative for COVID-19.</li><li>"These people had tested positive to COVID," St. Vincent Hospital on Sunday.</li></ul>A medical laboratory in Sydney, <keyword id="11897977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword>, falsely informed 400 people that they had tested negative for COVID-19 when they had in fact tested positive.St. Vincent's Hospital <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBavas/status/1474949996243947520">published a statement</a> on Sunday saying its pathology service, named SydPath, released the incorrect results due to a "human error." The results came from tests carried out on December 22 and December 23, it said."SydPath last night incorrectly messaged more than 400 people, advising them they had tested negative to COVID," the lab said. "These people had tested positive to COVID.""An emergency response team is now investigating the cause of this mistake, which is believed to be human error," it added. People impacted were contacted as soon as the issue was discovered, the lab noted.In a <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydpath-covid19-testing-lab-mistakenly-told-more-than-400-positive-cases-they-were-negative/229ce3f7-d531-4878-ae04-494f3a49b10a?ocid=Social-9NewsB">statement</a>, SydPath medical director Anthony Dodds said SydPath had been working on "very large volume of tests" on December 22 and 23.A 34-year-old man who received an incorrect negative result from the lab <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-26/sydpath-misdiagnosed-400-positive-covid-19-cases-as-negative/100726184">told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation</a> that he started feeling sick within days of the test. Despite being advised by his doctor to trust the result, he visited St. Vincent's Hospital for further clarification, he said."I said, 'I also trust myself, I'm unwell because every symptom I've had is COVID ... the PCR test must be wrong,'" the man told ABC, adding that he ended up testing positive to a rapid antigen test.He told ABC after St. Vincent's Sunday apology: "I think it was quite frustrating, in the sense that one, it took 85 hours firstly to get the negative test result. And then me having to call a GP and go to the hospital to try and clarify what is wrong with me."The man said he received two differing notifications from SydPath about the cause of the slip-up: One attributed it to a lab error, while the other said it was a clerical mistake.Much of the world is contending with the rapid spread of the Omicron <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> variant, which has affected unvaccinated people, as well as those who were vaccinated or had received booster shots. Experts say vaccines appear to have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-symptoms-why-are-they-milder-vaccines-early-data-2021-12">helped produce milder symptoms and fewer hospitalizations</a> than the Delta variant.

A COVID-19 testing lab in Australia accidentally told 400 people they tested negative when they were actually positive

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11897118" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfizer" source="Orion">Pfizer</keyword> and BioNTech new data about how their vaccine works against the <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant.</li><li>They said that two doses produced fewer antibodies against Omicron than against other variants.</li></ul>Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that their vaccine against the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> appeared effective against the Omicron variant under a three-dose regime, but that two doses alone produced a much lesser response.The companies gave the update <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-omicron-variant">in a press release</a> describing lab tests that sought to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine against Omicron, a new and fast-spreading variant discovered last month.The tests compared the level of protective antibodies against Omicron after two and three doses. The early data provides an indication of how well the vaccines combat the virus, though it is not a perfect test.The companies — as well as scientists around the world — are racing to figure out how Omicron behaves and how well vaccines will hold up against it. The variant is causing worry <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-omicron-variant-mutations-are-concerning-2021-11">because of its large array of mutations.</a>As part of the news release, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said: "Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it's clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with the third dose of our vaccine,"Here are the findings in summary:<ul><li>People who received two doses of Pfizer's vaccine had, on average, 25 times fewer neutralizing antibodies against Omicron as against the original strain of the coronavirus. </li><li>A month after a third dose of the vaccine, the level of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron rose back up to the levels seen after two doses of vaccine against the original strain.</li><li>CD8+ T cells, other immune cells that don't depend on antibodies to kill the virus, can still recognise about 80% of the targets on the Omicron that they saw with the original strain. </li><li>The level of these CD8+ cells is also higher after a third dose of vaccine. </li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-spreads-easily-but-is-not-worse-than-delta-experts-2021-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">Early evidence suggests</a> the Omicron variant may be easier for people to catch than the Delta variant, but could result in less serious infections.Pfizer is working on an updated vaccine to target the Omicron variant.

Pfizer says 3 of its shots work against Omicron, citing lab tests, but that 2 appear less effective

<ul class="summary-list"><li>COVID-19 testing at the Immensa <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> Clinic lab in central <keyword id="11903129" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="england" source="Orion">England</keyword> has been suspended.</li><li>About 43,000 people may have received a false negative <keyword id="12165772" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="test" source="Orion">test</keyword> result because of an error at the lab.</li></ul>About 43,000 people in England may have got a false-negative COVID-19 test result because of an error at a private laboratory, a government agency said.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) <a href="https://ukhsa-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/testing-at-private-lab-suspended-following-nhs-test-and-trace-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on Monday</a> that testing at the lab in Wolverhampton, central England, had been immediately suspended, pending an investigation.The potential error was found while the UKHSA was investigating a rising number of people who were testing positive on quick lateral flow tests (LFTs) but negative on lab tests, the UKHSA said.The lab, run by Immensa Health Clinic Ltd, had processed around 400,000 samples, the UKHSA said. An estimated 43,000 people may have been given an incorrect negative test result between September 12 and October 8, mostly in the south-west of England, it said.It was investigating the precise cause, it said, adding that it was an "isolated incident.""The number of tests carried out at the Immensa laboratory are small in the context of the wider network and testing availability is unaffected around the country," it said.The National Health Service (NHS) was contacting the people who may have COVID-19 to tell them to take another test, the UKHSA said.Dr. Will Welfare, public health incident director at UKHSA, said in a statement that the UKHSA was working with Immensa and the UK central testing body, NHS Test and Trace, to determine the "laboratory technical issues" that led to the possible error.There was "no evidence" of any fault with the quicker lateral flow tests or lab tests more generally, Welfare said. "The public should remain confident in using them and in other laboratory services currently provided," he added.Andrea Riposati, chief executive director at Immensa Health Clinic Ltd, said in a statement that the company was "fully collaborating" with the UKHSA. "We do not wish this matter or anything else to tarnish the amazing work done by the UK in this pandemic," she said.Alexander Edwards, associate professor in Biomedical Technology at the University of Reading, <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-news-from-uksha-that-covid-19-testing-at-a-private-lab-has-been-suspended-after-nhs-test-and-trace-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a> that we shouldn't assume all problems or failures mean that testing is bad."Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. The majority of test results are correct, and it's worth remembering that our testing system has been built up from almost nothing at the start of the pandemic," Edwards said.

43,000 people may have been wrongly told their COVID-19 test was negative because of a lab error in England

Hello,Welcome to <keyword id="11421931" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-healthcare">Insider Healthcare</keyword>. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> news:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-us-clinical-trial-results-2021-4"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genomics-company-helix-helping-cdc-track-coronavirus-variants-2021-6">We went inside Helix's San Diego labs to see how the consumer genetics company confronted the pandemic</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-primary-care-companies-like-one-medical-arent-chasing-medicaid-2021-6">Primary care upstarts aren't rushing to provide care to people on Medicaid, and it's not just because of the money</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/organ-transplant-patients-booster-shot-covid-19-vaccine-2021-6">Transplant patients are getting illicit third vaccine doses</a>.</li></ul>If you're new to this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-healthcare">sign up here.</a> Comments, tips? Email me at <a href="mailto:lramsey@insider.com">lramsey@insider.com</a> or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/lydiaramsey125">@lydiaramsey125</a>. Let's get to it...<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genomics-company-helix-helping-cdc-track-coronavirus-variants-2021-6"></a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genomics-company-helix-helping-cdc-track-coronavirus-variants-2021-6">How DNA-testing startup Helix became one of the nation's leading coronavirus tracking labs</a></h3><ul><li><keyword id="1383111" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Helix">Helix</keyword>, a population-genomics company in the Bay Area, is deep in the viral variant tracking business.</li><li>With the CDC, Helix identified the spread of variant Alpha - now the most dominant strain in the US.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genomics-company-helix-helping-cdc-track-coronavirus-variants-2021-6">Insider went to San Diego to tour Helix's COVID-19 testing lab.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genomics-company-helix-helping-cdc-track-coronavirus-variants-2021-6">Here's what we saw&gt;&gt;</a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-primary-care-companies-like-one-medical-arent-chasing-medicaid-2021-6"><div type="image" title="doctor patient" height="1334" width="1778" msid="83543601" hostid="261"></div></a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-primary-care-companies-like-one-medical-arent-chasing-medicaid-2021-6">Why the hottest primary care startups aren't chasing Medicaid</a></h3><ul><li><keyword id="1850924" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="primary-care">Primary care</keyword> groups like One Medical are expanding senior care, but say <keyword id="191993" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Medicaid">Medicaid</keyword> isn't a key target.</li><li>Experts say lower payment rates and fewer chronic conditions discourage them from chasing Medicaid.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-primary-care-companies-like-one-medical-arent-chasing-medicaid-2021-6">Equity advocates warn that this could deepen health disparities that grew during the pandemic.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-primary-care-companies-like-one-medical-arent-chasing-medicaid-2021-6">Get the full story&gt;&gt;</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/organ-transplant-patients-booster-shot-covid-19-vaccine-2021-6"><div type="image" title="a man with a heart transplant seen getting a COVID-19 shot" height="1396" width="1862" msid="83543602" hostid="261"></div></a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/organ-transplant-patients-booster-shot-covid-19-vaccine-2021-6">Transplant patients 'desperate' for COVID vaccine protection are getting illicit 3rd doses - and it might be working for some</a></h3><ul><li>It can be hard for people with transplant organs to derive the same benefits from vaccines as other people.</li><li>A new study suggests giving them 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, instead of 2, can help.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/organ-transplant-patients-booster-shot-covid-19-vaccine-2021-6">Here's what you need to know&gt;&gt;</a>More stories we're reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/humana-acquires-onehome-to-pursue-value-based-home-health-strategy/601738/">Humana is buying Onehome as it beefs up its home care strategy</a> (Healthcare Dive)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-lab-leak-not-necessarily-genetically-engineered-coronavirus-2021-6">Even if the coronavirus did leak from a Wuhan lab, that wouldn't necessarily mean it was engineered</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://khn.org/news/article/in-alleged-health-care-money-grab-nations-largest-hospital-chain-cashes-in-on-trauma-centers/">HCA Healthcare uses "trauma activation fees" that can be as high as $50,ooo when patients come to its trauma centers</a> (Kaiser Health News)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kindra-raises-female-vcs-600-billion-menopause-market-2021-6">This CEO was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia when it was menopause. Now her startup hopes to create a $600 billion menopause market, backed by female VCs.</a> (Insider)</li></ul>- Lydia

We went inside the labs where DNA-testing startup Helix has been running coronavirus tests

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="6383835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta">Delta</keyword> variant appears to be the most common <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> strain for new US infections, according to testing data.</li><li>The data comes from Helix, a private testing firm that is partnered with the CDC.</li><li>The data suggests the highly infectious Delta variant is more common than Alpha, which was previously dominant.</li></ul>The highly infectious <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-delta-variant-doubled-2-weeks-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta coronavirus variant</a> that's spread to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-who-fully-vaccinated-wear-masks-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 96 countries</a> may now be dominant in the US, according to a private testing firm partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Alexandre Bolze, senior scientist at Helix, said <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1409677958256619535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Twitter on Tuesday</a> that the number of Americans newly infected with the Alpha variant, which was previously the dominant strain, was falling, accounting for less than 20% of positive tests <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/helix6052/viz/HelixSARS-CoV-2LineagesofInterest/Lineages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sequenced by the company</a> on June 25. Meanwhile, the number of people infected with Delta was rising - "10 days ago, Delta represented 30% of sequences," he said.Helix is CDC-backed to help track the emergence of new coronavirus variants, and has funding from the National Institutes of <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> (NIH) to process up to 100,000 daily tests across the majority of American states, <a href="https://www.helix.com/pages/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the company. </a> It's one of several labs sequencing tests in the US, and Bolze's figures don't account for tests sequenced elsewhere.Bolze said on <a href="https://twitter.com/alexbolze?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter on June 21</a> that both <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-less-deadly-vaccinated-countries-mild-approach-lockdown-covid-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Delta variant</a>, first identified in India, and the Gamma variant, first identified in Brazil, have become more common in the US than Alpha, according to Helix's data. But Delta was increasing at a faster rate than Gamma in most states, he said. Both are more infectious than the original coronavirus variant and have mutations that can help them avoid the immune response. Data from <a href="https://covariants.org/per-variant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID)</a>, the world's central sequencing database, backs this up, showing that throughout June, the proportion of sequences with the Delta variant increased at a higher rate than Gamma in the US, although both were rising. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a>The findings haven't been officially endorsed by the CDC. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-delta-coronavirus-variant-particularly-dangerous-young-people-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted on June 19</a> that the Delta variant would become the primary strain in the US within months.The data - which may not be exact due to the relatively low number of cases in the US, and therefore low numbers of tests sequenced - are likely to be submitted to GISAID and Genbank by the CDC. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-who-fully-vaccinated-wear-masks-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization (WHO)</a> said in a report released on Wednesday that it expected Delta to rapidly outcompete other variants worldwide.

The highly infectious Delta variant may already be dominant in the US, says leading coronavirus test lab

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Five Indonesian lab workers were arrested and accused of washing and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/01/world/indonesia-covid-swabs-reused.html">reusing nasal swabs in up to 20,000 COVID-19 tests.</a></li><li>The workers could have <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3132224/reused-nose-swabs-indonesian-firm-faces-lawsuit-over-covid-19">made up to $125,000 from the alleged fraud</a> since mid-December, according to the local police chief.</li><li>Authorities are investigating whether anyone was infected with the virus as a result of the contaminated swabs.</li></ul>Five Indonesian lab workers were arrested last week and accused of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/01/world/indonesia-covid-swabs-reused.html">reusing nasal swabs</a> in rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, Richard C. Paddock and Dera Menra Sijabat reported for The New York Times.The workers are accused of using new swabs to test someone, then washing, repackaging, and using those same swabs to test others, per The Times. The lab workers worked for state-owned pharmaceutical company Kimia Farma at an airport testing site in the city of Medan.The local police chief told reporters that <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3132224/reused-nose-swabs-indonesian-firm-faces-lawsuit-over-covid-19">more than 9,000 people could have been affected</a> by the recycled tests, according to the South China Morning Post. The Times, however, puts that number much higher, reporting that the reused swabs could have been used in up to 20,000 COVID-19 tests. In <keyword id="8692" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indonesia">Indonesia</keyword>, every passenger must show a negative test result before boarding a flight.The Kimia Farma lab workers could have made up to $125,000 in the scheme since mid-December, the police chief said, according to the Post. The company was charging about $14 per test, which the lab workers have been accused of pocketing each time they reused a swab.Erick Thohir, Indonesia's minister of state-owned companies, <a href="https://twitter.com/erickthohir/status/1388017458305396738">tweeted last week</a> that he "strongly condemns" the actions of the "unscrupulous" Kimia Farma workers."Such action must be subject to very strict punishment," he said.<div type="image" title="indonesia covid swab test" height="1434" width="1912" msid="82399822" hostid="261"></div>Authorities said they're investigating whether anyone was infected with the virus as a result of the contaminated swabs, per the Times. Police said they would implement random checks at testing centers around the country to catch any other potential similar schemes.Two Indonesian human rights lawyers, Ranto Sibarani and Kamal Pane, told the Post that they're <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3132224/reused-nose-swabs-indonesian-firm-faces-lawsuit-over-covid-19">planning to sue the pharmaceutical company</a> in a collective civil suit. The lawyers said they passed through Medan's airport multiple times between December 2020 and February 2021 while traveling between Medan and Jakarta for hearings.Sibarani told the Post he took at least 10 tests at the airport testing site in that period and that each test was an "awful experience" because he felt the lab workers were swabbing too deeply and swabbed his nose multiple times for one test."I feel that I am the victim of serious fraud and that I was violated through my nose," he told the Post.The attorneys, who did not immediately respond to an email from Insider, told the Post they're gathering statements from people who were potentially affected by the scheme and they plan to claim roughly $69,000 in damages for each affected person.Kimia Farma did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment for this story. <h2>Not enough testing for the world's fourth-largest population</h2>Indonesia, which has the <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?most_recent_value_desc=true">world's</a><a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?most_recent_value_desc=true"> fourth-largest population</a> spread out over more than 17,000 islands, has reported 1,682,004 COVID-19 cases and 45,949 deaths throughout the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.But experts the true number of cases is likely higher. In October, The Wall Street Journal reported that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-has-270-million-peopleand-one-of-the-worlds-lowest-covid-19-testing-rates-11602154803">Indonesia was far behind on COVID-19 testing</a>: It had tested a smaller percentage of its population than any other major economy.Only about <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?sref=BLKWHazc">3% of Indonesia's 270 million population is fully vaccinated</a> so far, per Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.<div type="image" title="Two volunteers sit on a bench as they play the role of 'pocong', or known as 'shroud ghost', to make people stay at home amid the spread of coronavirus in Indonesia on April 1." height="1360" width="1813" msid="82399824" hostid="261"></div>The Indonesian government has faced criticism that it <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/4/22/indonesias-coronavirus-response-revealed-too-little-too-late">responded too slowly to the pandemic</a>. The country has also made headlines for its unusual methods of enforcing COVID-19 safety measures.In April 2020, as cases in parts of the country rose, <a href="https://www.insider.com/photo-indonesia-no-cases-to-second-most-deaths-in-asia-2020-4#in-april-ghosts-appeared-at-night-volunteers-would-play-the-role-of-pocong-or-the-shroud-ghost-to-make-people-stay-at-home-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-these-ghosts-represent-the-trapped-souls-of-the-dead-but-the-dress-up-backfired-and-people-actually-came-out-to-get-a-glimpse-of-them-haunting-the-streets-18">volunteers started dressing up as ghosts</a> and patrolling the streets to encourage people to stay home. But this plan backfired, as people came out of their homes to see the "ghosts."Later last year, residents of a district in East Java were punished for not wearing masks by being <a href="https://www.insider.com/indonesia-forcing-anti-maskers-to-dig-covid-19-victims-graves-2020-9">forced to dig graves for victims of the virus.</a> And in January 2021, police ordered <a href="https://www.insider.com/tourists-bali-push-ups-not-wearing-face-mask-2021-1">tourists in Bali to do 15 to 50 push ups</a> for not wearing a face mask in public if couldn't pay the $7 cash fine.

Lab workers in Indonesia have been accused of reusing nasal COVID-19 swabs in as many as 20,000 tests

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An illegal medical lab was discovered by investigators in a warehouse in Fresno, California.</li><li>The lab was full of bioengineered mice and samples of diseases like COVID-19, HIV, and herpes.</li></ul>An illegal lab in California containing nearly 1,000 bioengineered mice has officials concerned after improperly stored tissue samples were tested and discovered to contain infectious diseases including HIV and Hepatitis."This is an unusual situation. I've been in government for 25 years. I've never seen anything like this," Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba said, per local news outlet <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/ive-never-seen-anything-like-this-illegal-medical-lab-discovered-near-fresno/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KRON4</a>.The makeshift lab contained roughly 30 refrigerators and freezers — some of which were non-operational — as well as incubators, medical testing supplies, and hundreds of mice. Several disease samples tested from the lab included infectious agents like herpes, coronavirus, E. Coli, and malaria, <a href="https://sfist.com/2023/07/29/fresno-warehouse-reveals-illegal-medical-lab-public-worries-emerge/">SFist</a> reported.Wang Zhaolin, a representative of the company operating the lab, Prestige Biotech, told investigators that the mice inside the warehouse had been genetically engineered to catch and spread the COVID-19 virus, according to <a href="https://sjvsun.com/news/fresno/secret-biological-lab-uncovered-in-reedley-containing-bioengineered-covid-19-mice/#:~:text=The%20lab%2C%20operating%20in%20virtual,bacterial%20agents%20including%20COVID%2D19.">The San Joaquin Valley Sun</a>. The warehouse came under investigation in March after a local code enforcement officer discovered a garden hose attached to a back wall of the building. As officials searched, medical devices that appeared to have been created on-site, such as COVID-19 and pregnancy tests, were also discovered, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officials-believe-fresno-warehouse-was-site-illegal-laboratory-rcna96756" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported."Certain rooms of the warehouse were found to contain several vessels of liquid and various apparatus," NBC reported court documents related to the incident said. "Fresno County Public Health staff also observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material."Nearly 800 of the mice found inside the warehouse were euthanized by officials, per NBC. An additional approximately 175 mice were already dead when they were discovered."There was over 800 different chemicals on site in different bottles of different acids," KRON4 reported the assistant director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, Joe Prado, said. "Unfortunately, a lot of these are being categorized under unknown chemicals."All of the biohazard material within the lab has been destroyed as of July 7, NBC reported, though an investigation into the lab's origins and activity remains ongoing.The CDC and Fresno County Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Illegal medical lab containing bioengineered mice and infectious agents including HIV and herpes discovered in California

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two recent lab studies suggested a reason <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> could be more mild than other variants.</li><li>They said its way of attacking cells works badly in the lungs, where the virus does the most damage.</li></ul>The Omicron <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> variant might be less severe in humans because it attacks human lung cells in a different way, according to two <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.17.473248v2.article-info">laboratory</a> <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_829360_smxx.pdf">studies</a> published recently.A group of 31 scientists from different universities collaborated on the project for the first study. The second study was authored by 34 scientists from Scottish and English institutes. Both studies were published in preprint form, which means they have yet to be reviewed by other scientists.The researchers said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-omicron-variant-mutations-are-concerning-2021-11">Omicron's numerous mutations</a> appear to have completely changed how it replicates itself in the body.Omicron "is actually doing its own thing in many ways," Ravindra Gupta, a leading variant researcher from Cambridge University and an author on the first study, told Insider."The biology of the virus is not the same as it was before. It's almost a new thing."This provides new evidence supporting the idea that Omicron is less dangerous, Gupta said. Numerous other studies, and some real-world data, have suggested the virus is causing less severe disease and fewer deaths.Experts have been hesitant to accept the findings too quickly, hoping for more conclusive data. The paper by Gupta and his colleagues could help explain the difference in severity.<h2>Two ways to take over the body</h2>There are two ways the virus can infect a cell. One way relies on the shell of the virus fusing with the membrane of the human cell. This route, called "cell-surface fusion," is the route <keyword id="11894307" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta" source="Orion">Delta</keyword> prefers, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03944-y">according to Gupta's previous work</a>.Cell-surface fusion can be used only if a cell carries high levels of a molecule called TMPRSS2, which in the case of the coronavirus snips the virus's spike protein in half. <div type="image" title="A Schematic shows various modes of entry the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can use to enter a cell." height="1112" width="1482" msid="88620219" hostid="261"></div>TMPRSS2 is found in large quantities in the lungs, meaning that variants like Delta can thrive there, causing serious damage to the people it infects."That is thought to be one of the dominant roots for infection in deep lung tissue that's associated with more severe disease," said GuptaDelta's mutations mean it is much better at having its spike protein snipped than other variants, Gupta said.By contrast, Omicron's spike protein is very difficult to snip in half, according to lab-test results cited in the study on which Gupta is an author. This would make it worse at infecting the lungs in the way Delta does.On the other hand, Omicron's spike protein is much better at binding to human cells in general, which gives it an advantage in cells without TMPRSS2, the study said.Airway cells have low levels of TMPRSS2, so Omicron is much more suited to infect these cells using a route called endosomal fusion, according to the study. This would make it more capable of causing infections with mild symptoms.<div type="image" title="A schematic shows where the bronchus and lungs are on a cross-section of a person" height="1000" width="1333" msid="88620220" hostid="261"></div>These findings come after <a href="https://twitter.com/SystemsVirology/status/1474759694971727872?s=20">other lab</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lab-omicron-spread-70-times-faster-delta-airway-hong-kong-2021-12">studies</a> observed Omicron replicating much faster in airway and bronchial cells than in the lungs.Real-world data supports this finding, as Omicron appears to have led to a smaller percentage of hospitalizations than Delta in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-hospitalization-rate-about-10-of-delta-south-africa-minister-2021-12">South Africa</a>, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/23/omicron-cases-at-much-lower-risk-of-hospital-admission-uk-says">the UK</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-hospitalizations-comparatively-low-as-us-cases-hit-record-highs-2021-12">the US</a>. The results are preliminary, but they support the idea that the variant is less dangerous, Gupta said."So this is what we think ties it all together," he said. <h2>Good news and bad news</h2>"We probably need to express some caution. It is nice to see that this variant is potentially less severe. But we don't know by how much yet," Gupta said.It's also not clear whether Omicron could cause other long-term consequences, collectively known as long <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">COVID</keyword>, as was the case in other variants.Gupta also warned that it might be possible for future variants to appear that are again more deadly. "The next variant could have combined characteristics, so I don't think we can be complacent," he said.

Omicron might be milder because it has a less effective way of attacking lung cells, studies say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Becton Dickinson’s <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> test, which gives results in 15 minutes, has been approved in countries that accept a European Union quality mark, the US company said.</li><li>The rapid antigen test, which is already used in the US, is expected to be on the European market by the end of October.</li><li>It will likely be used by emergency departments, pediatricians and general practitioners, the company said.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.bd.com/en-us/company/news-and-media/press-releases/bd-launches-portable-rapid-point-of-care-antigen-test-to-detect-sars-cov-2-in-15-minutes-dramatically-expanding-access-to-covid-19-testing">portable BD Veritor Plus System</a> is part of a new class of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> tests designed to produce results faster than other methods.</li></ul>A Becton Dickinson lab-free COVID-19 test that returns results in 15 minutes has been cleared for use in <keyword id="28249" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="europe">Europe</keyword>. The US medical device maker said on Wednesday that its <keyword id="46701" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="testing">testing</keyword> kit for coronavirus, which has been available in the US since July, met the requirements to be sold in Europe.It will be available in countries that recognize the CE mark, which shows that a manufacturer has ensured a product meets European Union safety requirements.Becton Dickinson said it expects its test to be commercially available in European markets by the end of October. It will most likely be used by emergency departments, pediatricians, and general practitioners, it said.The <a href="https://www.bd.com/en-us/company/news-and-media/press-releases/bd-launches-portable-rapid-point-of-care-antigen-test-to-detect-sars-cov-2-in-15-minutes-dramatically-expanding-access-to-covid-19-testing">portable BD Veritor Plus System</a> can quickly identify antigens on the surface of the coronavirus without requiring a lab. Antigen tests are designed to produce results rapidly, but are generally less reliable than the gold-standard PCR assay.Troy Kirkpatrick, a spokesperson for Becton Dickinson, said that a new clinical study shows the test correctly identifies infections 93.5% of the time, whilst the rate of correct negative results stands at 99.3%, per <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-30/becton-dickinson-15-minute-virus-test-cleared-in-europe?utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;utm_content=businesscontent=business">Bloomberg</a>.In the US, the entire system costs between $250 and $300, and tests costs $20 each. Becton Dickinson's head of diagnostics for Europe, Fernand Goldblat, said the company was talking governments and <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> authorities in Europe about "where and how our solutions would fit.""It is really a game-changing introduction here in Europe," he said. April and May were the worst months for COVID-19 in Europe and "unfortunately I think we're headed back in that direction. So the need [for COVID-19 tests] will be extremely high," he added.The approval of the rapid antigen test in Europe comes as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-sees-new-coronavirus-peaks-countries-all-time-case-records-2020-9">the continent experiences a worrying resurgence in coronavirus</a> cases.

A COVID-19 test that gives results in 15 minutes without a lab has been cleared for use in Europe

<ul><li>This viral RNA multiplication process, called RT-PCR, requires several temperature fluctuation cycles, specialised equipment, and trained personnel, said Brain Cunningham, another co-author of the study.</li><li>In the current research, the scientists used a simpler process to analyse the viral transport media, called LAMP, which bypasses the RNA extraction and purification steps. </li></ul> Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a prototype of a rapid <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> test using a simple-to-use portable instrument for reading the results with a smartphone in 30 minutes, an innovation that may enable point-of-care diagnosis without needing to send samples to a lab. According to the study, published in the journal PNAS, the new technology may help overcome bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel which have led to long waiting times for COVID-19 test results in several parts of the world amidst the ongoing pandemic. "If such a device and test were available, we could test for COVID-19 at public events, auditoriums, large gatherings and potentially even at home for self-testing. The results could be sent back to the appropriate public health system for coordination," said Rashid Bashir, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the US. In one of the common methods to test for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, healthcare workers take a sample from patients with a long nasopharyngeal swab, which is put into a substance called viral transport media, and send to a lab for extracting, isolating, and multiplying the viral genetic material, the scientists said. This viral RNA multiplication process, called RT-PCR, requires several temperature fluctuation cycles, specialised equipment, and trained personnel, said Brain Cunningham, another co-author of the study. In the current research, the scientists used a simpler process to analyse the viral transport media, called LAMP, which bypasses the RNA extraction and purification steps. "LAMP only needs one temperature -- 65 C -- so it is much easier to control," said Anurup Ganguli, the first author of the study. "Also, LAMP works more robustly than PCR, especially when there are contaminants in the test sample. We can just briefly heat the sample, break open the virus, and detect the genetic sequence that specifically identifies SARS-CoV-2," Ganguli said. When the researchers compared the LAMP assay with PCR, they found the results were in agreement, following which they documented the sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP test. The scientists then incorporated the assay onto a small 3D-printed cartridge that has two input slots for syringes -- one for the sample-containing viral transport media, one for the LAMP chemicals. Once the two syringe components are injected, they the react within the cartridge, the study noted. "We use modern, high speed additive manufacturing to make these cartridges. The entire thing can be quickly scaled up to hundreds of thousands of tests," said Bill King, another co-author of the study from the University of Illinois. "Production scale-up is typically the biggest obstacle for commercial applications of microfluidic cartridges, and we can overcome that obstacle using this new approach. Modern additive manufacturing is elastic and scalable, and it can be ramped up very quickly compared with legacy manufacturing technologies," King said. According to the researchers, the cartridge can be inserted into a hand-held portable instrument with a heating chamber, which heats the cartridge to 65 degrees Celsius for the duration of the reaction, and a smartphone cradle is in place for reading the results. In approximately 30 minutes, a positive result will emit fluorescent light, they said. "The reader illuminates the liquid compartments with light from blue LEDs, while the phone's rear-facing camera records a movie of the green fluorescent light being generated," Cunningham explained. The scientists noted that they are currently assessing whether the assay would work with saliva samples to eliminate the need for nasopharyngeal swabs. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/ambani-vs-damani-indias-635-billion-retail-ring-will-see-the-countrys-two-richest-men-battle-with-different-strategies/articleshow/77846555.cms">Ambani vs Damani ⁠— India’s $635 billion retail ring will see the country’s two richest men⁠ battle with different strategies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/its-the-day-airtel-and-vodafone-idea-have-been-waiting-for-heres-the-agr-case-timeline-of-26-years/articleshow/77845908.cms">It's the day Airtel and Vodafone Idea have been waiting for – here’s the AGR case timeline of 26 years</a>

You Searched For "coronavirus testing labs" and got 12 results

Rapid COVID-19 tests are worse at detecting Omicron, FDA says, citing new lab data

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Israeli airstrikes wrecked the only coronavirus testing lab in Gaza

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43,000 people may have been wrongly told their COVID-19 test was negative because of a lab error in England

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The highly infectious Delta variant may already be dominant in the US, says leading coronavirus test lab

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Lab workers in Indonesia have been accused of reusing nasal COVID-19 swabs in as many as 20,000 tests

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Illegal medical lab containing bioengineered mice and infectious agents including HIV and herpes discovered in California

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Omicron might be milder because it has a less effective way of attacking lung cells, studies say

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A COVID-19 test that gives results in 15 minutes without a lab has been cleared for use in Europe

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Scientists develop a prototype of a rapid COVID-19 that may enable point-of-care diagnosis without needing to send samples to a lab

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