Samantha writes:
Hello! I’ve been listening to TWIV since about March, this is my first time writing in. I am a Clinical Lab Scientist in California, and have a question about Ct values from PCR testing in our lab. A few months back, I read that the FDA was “forbidding” hospital labs from releasing Ct values because they could potentially be misinterpreted, or could possibly misrepresent the true patient condition (i.e. a good sample vs a poor sample). After listening to Dr. Griffin’s update, it seems as though the FDA has reconsidered its position on Ct. We currently run our SARS-CoV2 testing on an instrument called the BD Max, and it gives Ct values in the test report, but we report only positive or negative to the providers. We are in the process of validating a second PCR analyzer made by Perkin Elmer, but I don’t know much about it except that it’s more sensitive to smaller amounts of viral RNA than the Max. Long story short: how can we get the Ct information out to our medical team with the appropriate interpretive information to go along with it? I imagine that a majority of our providers won’t fully understand a result that reads something like “Positive, Ct 32” or something along those lines. Any input is appreciated, and thanks so much for all of your amazing podcasts!
Samantha Ponce, MS, CLS
Visalia, CA
Paige writes:
Hi Dr Griffin
Should people who tested positive for covid-19 or had positive antibodies test still get vaccinated?
I know the answer is yes, but I want to know why? I wanted to share a resource with my brother that explains the why. A friend let me know about this podcast, said she thought you reviewed this?
Thank you so much!
Paige
Terry writes:
DR. GRIFFIN
RECENTLY YOU STATED PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY INFUSION FOR COVID SHOULD WAIT 90 DAYS TO GET VACCINE.
WHAT’S THE HARM IN GETTING THE VACCINE 30 DAYS OR 60 DAYS AFTER THE INFUSION? I UNDERSTAND THE VACCINE MAY NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE AT PRODUCING AN IMMUNE RESPONSE BUT AREN’T YOU TAKING A RISK OF THE PATIENT GETTING REINFECTED WITH COVID IF YOU WAIT 90 DAYS?
YOUR PODCASTS ARE GREAT – THX FOR ALL YOU DO!
DR. TERRY MCDANNOLD
Hugh writes:
Dr. Griffin:
Thank you for your comments about penalizing versus helping vaccine administrators. I cringed when I heard Gov Cuomo threaten providers who vaccinated out of order with $1M fines and loss of license. Granted, he was worried about the wealthy and influential jumping the line, the unfairness, and the terrible public perception of that, but such a massive threat also operates in terrorem. It shifts the risk of even inadvertent error to the providers; what documentation of eligibility must be presented to protect the provider from this dreadful liability? If I vaccinate someone who is not yet eligible, is it a status crime, regardless of what the patient said or my intent? Were I in NY, I might let thawed vaccine go to waste rather than risk this wrath.
In DC, a grocery store pharmacy had ready vaccine after all the health care workers present had been vaccinated. At the end of the day, rather than let it go, they announced overhead that anyone wanting a vaccination should report to the pharmacy!
We need strong leadership to get through this. We also need thoughtful and foresightful leaders.
Thank you for your updates.
Hugh Hill, MD, JD
