CORONAVIRUS TESTS -WHAT’S AVAILABLE, WHAT’S COMING, WHAT’S IN TRIAL – JUST THE FACTS (APRIL 2020)

Three basic test types are the focus here, and it’s these we will need to have mass-produced and distributed to a significant percentage of the population. Anything less risks prolonging lockdown or making the relaxing of lockdown a gamble. The gamble may pay off, but it may also end up with a death toll in the millions.

Whether you back “gamble!” or “don’t risk lives!” – and where this preference changes, along the infection + fatality + recovery progress line – it’s a question for individuals and its answer is more about your own personality and outlook than any objective data. Some are more gung-ho about life’s ups and downs (everything is a risk, get living). Others are more socially minded about doing the best for the most (all in it together, we’ll beat this if we unite). Whatever.

Here’s the data. Three test types. A bunch of approved, clinical trial and in the pipeline tests. Best thing we can all do, gung-ho or group-first, is keep a close eye on the facts – not just the numbers but the medical supply chains, testing most of all – and hold to account anyone presuming to take authority (be it the President, State Governors, City Mayors, federal, state and city officials). Keep an eye on where the money is going. Keep an eye on where the supply chains aren’t working. Keep an eye on where the institutions are working and where they’re failing. Get loud about any incompetence, corruption, grift, bullshit misdirection, bogus propaganda, etc.

Stay safe.

APRIL 18th 2020

Type of test	Time to results	What it tells us	What it cannot tell us	Figure
Rapid diagnostic test (RDT)	10-30 minutes	The presence or absence (qualitative) of antibodies against the virus present in patient serum.	The quantifiable amount of antibodies in the patient serum, or if these antibodies are able to protect against future infection	RDT figure
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)	1-5 hours	The presence or absence (quantitative) of antibodies against the virus present in patient serum.	If the antibodies are able to protect against future infection.	ELISA figure
Neutralization assay	3-5 days	The presence of active antibodies in patient serum that are able to inhibit virus growth ex vivo, in a cell culture system. Indicates if the patient is protected against future infection.	It may miss antibodies to viral proteins that are not involved in replication.	PRNT figure

Tests approved in the United States

Country of development	US/China
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Cellex Inc.
Description	RDT, lateral flow assay, which detects IgM and IgG to the nucelocapside protein of SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivity is 93.8% and specificity is 95.6%, when tested at 2 Chinese hospitals in a total of 128 COVID19 positive patients, and 250 COVID19 negative patients (as detected by RT-qPCR).
Phase of development	Approved by FDA for EUA on diagnostics, has CE approval
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers (product number 5513)
Date	April 1, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	ChemBio
Description	This test detects IgM and IgG antibodies to the nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2. Sensitivity and specificity values were not released.
Phase of development	Approved for EUA by the FDA
Proposed release	April 14, 2020
Date	April 15, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	Modified ELISA
Authors/Company	VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Reagent Pack/Total Calibrator (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics)
Description	This test is a proprietary ELISA, and detects total IgM and IgG, but does not discern between the two. The target antigen is SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Sensitivity was 83% when tested in 36 samples known positive, and sensitivity was 100% out of 400 known SARS-CoV-2 negative samples. Sensitivity increases as day from symptom onset increases. This must be used on the platform VITROS® XT 7600 Integrated System, the VITROS® 3600 Immunodiagnostic System, the VITROS® 5600 Integrated System and VITROS® ECi/ECiQ Immunodiagnostic systems.
Phase of development	Approved for EUA by the FDA
Proposed release	April 14, 2020
Date	April 15, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Mount Sinai Laboratory COVID-19 ELISA IgG Antibody Test
Description	This test detects, qualitatively, IgG present in the serum of patients. The ELISA based method uses a 1:50 dilution of human serum that is flowed over a plate coated with the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD). Sensitivity and specificity are not yet available.
Phase of development	Approved for EUA by the FDA
Proposed release	April 15, 2020
Date	April 16, 2020

Tests approved outside the United States

Country of development	US/China
Type of Serological Test	RDT, solid phase immunochromatographic assay
Authors/Company	Aytu Biosciences/Orient Gene Biotech
Description	The (COVID-19) IgG/IgM Rapid Test will assay patient antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from blood or plasma samples. The sensitivity is 87.9% and specificity is 100% for IgG, and for IgM it is 97.2% and 100%, respectively.
Phase of development	CE approved, used in China in clinical settings, awaiting FDA approval
Proposed release	Shipments should be ready by early April
Date	March 10, 2020

Country of development	US/China
Type of Serological Test	Proprietary
Authors/Company	ScanWell Health/INNOVITA
Description	This kit is for detection of IgG and IgM for SARS-CoV-2 in the blood, taking only 15 minutes, and is an at-home test. The test has 87.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
Phase of development	Cleared by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and pending approval by US FDA
Proposed release	6-8 weeks (May 1 to May 15), depending on FDA approval date
Date	March 20, 2020

Country of development	Singapore
Type of Serological Test	Not explicity stated, though their “gold standard” is a neutralization assay
Authors/Company	Singapore/ Wang Lab
Description	The Wang lab developed two tests. One, which has about 90% sensitivity, is rapid and uses recombinant viral proteins to detect reactive antibodies. The second is their “gold standard” and utilizes a viral neutralization assay but takes 3-5 days.
Phase of development	Deployed in Singapore
Proposed release	Not stated
Date	March 1, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	Lateral flow assay (RDT)
Authors/Company	Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co Ltd
Description	Wondfo SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test, which is a lateral flow assay that assays patient IgG and IgM. The article did not specify target antigens, sensitivity, or specificity
Phase of development	CE/IVD, approved by NMPA in China for point of care testing
Proposed release	CE/IVD in the EU
Date	Feb. 22, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	Guangdong Hecin-Scientific
Description	Tests for IgM against SARS-CoV-2.
Phase of development	Cleared by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)
Proposed release	Approved for use in China
Date	Feb. 22, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Dynamiker
Description	The test, DNK-1419-1, assays for patient IgG and IgM with 92% accuracy.
Phase of development	The NMPA has approved it in the 7th edition of Diagnostic and treatment protocol of COVID-19
Proposed release	Used in China, no other approvals to date
Date	Date not given

Country of development	The Republic of Korea
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	SD Biosensor
Description	US supplier Henry Schein will distribute the test for IVD use only
Phase of development	Approved for diagnostic us outside the US, Research use only in US
Proposed release	2-3 weeks
Date	March 26, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	MayoClinic/University of Minnesota
Description	MayoClinic is developing an ELISA to test for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The types of antibodies are not stated, nor is sensitivity or specificity.
Phase of development	Clinical
Proposed release	April 6, 2020
Date	April 1, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Advaite
Description	RapCov Rapid COVID-19 Test is an in vitro diagnostic test for IgM and IgG antibodies. In a study with 18 healthy and 18 COVID-19 positive patients, the sensitivity was 89% and specificity was 100%. It should be noted that “specificity” was only performed on healthy patient samples, not patient samples from related viruses. Further testing is necessary to validate the test. It is currently being used to study community prevalence in Chester County, PA. https://advaite.com/press-release/advaite-deploys-covid-19-rapid-antibody-test-kits-to-chester-county-and-collaborates-with-pennsylvania-companies-to-scale-up-manufacturing/
Phase of development	Research use only (IVD), not approved for diagnostic use. This company was not found on any FDA categorization of tests
Proposed release	April 2020
Date	April 6, 2020

Tests approved for research or surveillance purposes

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Epitope Diagnostics, Ltd
Description	KT-1032 tests for IgG to SARS-CoV-2, while KT-1033 tests for IgM to SARS-CoV-2. The kits do not state the antigens of interest.
Phase of development	Approved by FDA, for clinical use only and for research use. Not for at home testing. The test itself has not been evaluated by the FDA
Proposed release	Ongoing
Date	March 3, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	CTK Biotech
Description	The test, COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test, tests for patient IgG and IgM in a lateral flow assay.
Phase of development	Not approved for use in the US, but available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers and export out of the US
Date	March 12, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	BioMedomics
Description	This assay detects patient antibodies, IgG and IgM, on a lateral flow assay. It uses a recombinant viral antigen, though it does not state the specific antigen. The test is a 3 line read-out, one line for a control, one line to detect IgM, and one to detect IgG. Three lines indicates the patient has both IgG and IgM.
Phase of development	CE/IVD, approved by FDA but only for research use
Proposed release	CE/IVD, available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers in the US, but only for research use
Date	March 16, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Ray Biotech
Description	This test, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) IgM/IgG Rapid Test Kit, detects patient IgM and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 in patient blood samples. It detects antibodies against the viral N protein.
Phase of development	CE/IVD, approved for research use only in the US. Approved for research use under FDA EUA.
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	March 19, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Creative Diagnostics
Description	Kit DEIASL019 detects patient IgG for SARS-CoV-2, and uses the whole virus lysate as the antibody binding target. The reported sensitivity and specificity are 100% (from 16 and 30 samples, respectively). The DEIA2020 kit only tests for patient IgG that reacts to N protein.
Phase of development	Not approved for diagnostic use; for research use only
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, but not for diagnostic use
Date	March 20, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Eagle Biosciences
Description	This company has two kits, one (KTR-1032) which targets patient IgG, and one (KTR-1033) that targets IgM. The target antigen is an “HRP-labeled-COVID-19 antigen.” They did not list sensitivity or specificity
Phase of development	Research use only, CE/IVD outside the US
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, but not for diagnostic use
Date	Date not given

Country of development	China/US
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Sure Biotech
Description	The Coronavirus Rapid Test assays for IgG and IgM antibody in blood or plasma samples, with 92-96% accuracy.
Phase of development	CE approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE approved
Date	Feb. 2020

Country of development	China/US
Type of Serological Test	RDT, immunofluorescence, colloidal gold
Authors/Company	BioEasy/Shenzhen BioEasy Biotechnology Co.
Description	There are three tests: 1) the 2019 nCoV Ag test, which assays sputum or nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 antigens and gives a fluorometric read out, 2) the 2019-nCoV Ag GICA test, which uses colloidal gold, and 3) the 2019 nCoV IgG/IgM GICA rapid test which assays for patient antibodies to the virus from blood samples
Phase of development	CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	Date not given

Country of development	The Republic of Korea
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	Sugentech
Description	This test is a colloidal gold lateral flow assay that can be read in 10 minutes, and measures presence of patient IgG and IgM.
Phase of development	CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	Date not given

Country of development	The Republic of Korea
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	SD Biosensor
Description	This company currently offers 3 tests. 1) The Standard Q COVID-19 IgM/IgG Duo which tests for both IgG and IgM patient antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Sensitivity was 82% and specificity was 97% (based on data from 30 healthy donors and 33 COVID-19 positive individuals. 2) Standard Q COVID-19 Ag, which detects virus antigen from nasopharyngeal swabs, and 3) Standard F COVID-19 Ag FIA, which detects viral N protein present in nasopharyngeal swabs in a fluorescence based assay.
Phase of development	Korea EUA approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, but not for diagnostic use
Date	Date not given

Country of development	Singapore
Type of Serological Test	RDT, prescreen step
Authors/Company	Sensing self
Description	This is a pre-screening, at home test (though not authorized for at-home use yet). It tests for IgG and IgM antibodies, and is reported to be 92% accurate.
Phase of development	CE certified awaiting FDA EUA.
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	Date not given

Country of development	Germany
Type of Serological Test	ELISAs
Authors/Company	Euroimmun AG
Description	This company has two tests, including EI 2606-9601 A, which tests for patient IgA, and EI 2606-9601 G, which tests for patient IgG. The target antigens were not stated, nor were specificity or sensitivity of tests.
Phase of development	Research use only, CE/IVD in EU
Proposed release	CE/IVD in the EU
Date	March 12, 2020

Country of development	Germany
Type of Serological Test	RDT, lateral flow assay
Authors/Company	PharmACT
Description	This RDT tests for IgM and IgG of patients, with 92-98% sensitivity in later stages of the infection (day 11-24) with 100% sensitivity.
Phase of development	Research use only
Proposed release	Appears available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, but no clear approvals
Date	Date not given

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	Liming Bio
Description	COVID-19 IgG/IgM Combo Rapid Test Device is an RDT that tests for patient IgG and IgM antibodies. The sensitivity and specificity for total antibodies were 93.1 and 100%, respectively. For IgG, sensitivity is 82% and specificity is 100%. For IgM, the sensitivity is 62% and specificity is 100%.
Phase of development	CE/IVD
Proposed release	CE/IVD
Date	Feb. 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	Not listed
Authors/Company	Snibe Co
Description	The company provides two tests the 2019-nCoV IgG , and 2019-nCoV IgM tests. The test is a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). It has been clinically tested in China, though the exact specificity and sensitivity was not stated.
Phase of development	CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	Feb. 19, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Beijing Wantai
Description	They offer, 1. Wantai SARS-CoV-2 Ab Rapid Test Kit, 2. Wantai SARS-CoV-2 IgM ELISA kit, and 3. Wantai SARS-CoV-2 Ab ELISA kit. The kits do not state which antigens are used as targets. 93.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
Phase of development	Approved for Research use only, unclear if available in the US
Proposed release	Released in China
Date	Feb. 25, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Shenzhen Yhlo Biotech Company
Description	This company provides 2 tests, the iFlash-SARS-CoV-2-IgG and the iFlash-SARS-CoV-2-IgM, which test for patient antibodies to the virus. The target antigen is not specified. The sensitivity of the IgG assay is over 90%, and specificity is over 95%. For the IgM test, the sensitivity and specificity are both over 95%, based on assaying over 1200 Chinese patient samples.
Phase of development	CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	Feb. 27, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	Sanuo Biotech
Description	The SARS-Cov-2 Antibody Test strip tests for patient IgG and IgM. The press release did not disclose sensitivity or specificity of the test.
Phase of development	CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, CE/IVD approved
Date	March 12, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT (colloidal gold lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	BioTime
Description	The SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM kit tests for patient antibodies to the virus from blood or plasma samples. There is no reported sensitivity or specificity.
Phase of development	Only approved for in vitro diagnostic use
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers
Date	Date not given

Country of development	The Republic of Korea
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	GenBody
Description	GenBody FIA COVID-19 IgM/IgG (COVI025)
Phase of development	Research use only, CE/IVD in EU
Proposed release	CE/IVD in the EU
Date	March 2, 2020

Country of development	United Kingdom
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Mologic
Description	Seems to be an RDT (probably to IgM and IgG). No description was given, other than 3.5 million tests were ordered.
Phase of development	UK has purchased 3.5 million, they are validating now with Liverpool Trop Med and St. Georges, London
Proposed release	Date not given
Date	March 29, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Livzon Diagnostics
Description	RDT, lateral flow assay, which detects IgM and IgG to the nucelocapside protein of SARS-CoV-2.
Phase of development	Research use only, CE/IVD approved
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers
Date	Date not given

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	Not stated, seems to be ELISA
Authors/Company	Emory University
Description	Emory University has developed a serological test for COVID-19. Details of the test, such as method, target antigen, and antibody type are not listed. The Clinical Immunology section of Emory Medical Laboratories (EML) plans to begin testing 300 people per day, scaling up to 5000 tests per day by June. They state that it will take one vial of blood.
Phase of development	Research use only, approved under FDA Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 Section IV.A
Proposed release	April 2020
Date	April 13, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Confirm Biosciences
Description	This RDT detects IgM and IgG, though the target antigen is unclear. Sensitivity appears to be 93.8%, and sensitivity is 99.1%, in 704 samples tested. The location of the trial was not disclosed.
Phase of development	Research use only, not approved by the FDA
Proposed release	Available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers
Date	April 15, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Abbott
Description	This test detects IgG to SARS-CoV-2, and must be used on the ARCHITECT® i1000SR and i2000SR laboratory instruments. Sensitivity and specificity are not yet disclosed
Phase of development	Not approved by the FDA, appears to be under Section IV.C. Set for distribution in mid-April 2020.
Proposed release	April 17, 2020
Date	April 16, 2020

Country of development	USA
Type of Serological Test	ELISA (not stated)
Authors/Company	Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology test
Description	This tests detects antibodies, including IgG, to SARS-CoV-2 using the cobas e analysers. The sensitivity and specificity have not yet been disclosed.
Phase of development	Not approved by the FDA, applying for EUA
Proposed release	Mid-May in countries accepting the CE mark
Date	April 17, 2020

Tests that are still in development

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	CRISPR-based lateral flow assay
Authors/Company	Broughton et al (Mammoth Biosciences)
Description	Using a CRISPR-Cas12 based method, they can specifically detect virus RNA for the E and N genes. This is called the DETECTR assay, and does not assay for patient antibodies, but the presence of viral RNA. The CRISPR-Cas12 RNA targeting is followed by isothermal amplification of the target, resulting in a visual readout with a fluorophore.This was 90% sensitive and 100% specific.
Phase of development	Pre-clinical
Proposed release	In development
Date	March 10, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	Not stated
Authors/Company	CDC
Description	They are now beginning testing in specific populations, 1) people who have not been diagnosed but live in a COVID-19 hotspot, 2) a later national survey, and 3) populations like healthcare workers.
Phase of development	Clinical
Proposed release	Not given
Date	April 4, 2020

Country of developmentU	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Amanat et al.
Description	An ELISA based method using recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD) regions of the spike protein or the full length spike protein. COVID-19 patient sera was most reactive to the full length spike protein, while non-COVID-19 patient sera did not react to either protein above background
Phase of development	Pre-clinical
Proposed release	Not stated
Date	March 18, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	Proprietary
Authors/Company	United Biomedical (UBI)/ c19
Description	This kit is being tested in a small community in Colorado, in partnership with the Public Health Department of San Miguel County, to test all residents for a SARS-Cov-2 antibody. The assay is testing for antibodies to recombinant fragments of the S, N, and M proteins. So far, the test has 100% sensitivity and specificity after day 10 of symptoms, according to their website. This has not been approved by the FDA. They also state that “Positive results may be due to past or present infection with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains, such as coronavirus HKU1, NL63, OC43, or 229E”
Phase of development	In testing in San Miguel, CO
Proposed release	Ongoing trials in Colorado, no stated release date
Date	March 19, 2020

Country of development	Netherlands
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Okba et al
Description	Modifying existing beta version ELISA kits (EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG) for IgG or IgA, and an in-house ELISA kit, they coated plates with recombinant S1 domain of the spike protein. The commercially available kits are not yet approved for use. They found that the kits were sensitive and specific for the S1 region of SARS-CoV-2, looking at 45 samples overall.
Phase of development	Pre-clinical
Proposed release	Not stated
Date	March 20, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Jiangsu bioPerfectus technologies
Description	This company has two tests, the PerfectPOC Novel Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) IgM/IgG Rapid Test Kit and the PerfectPOC Novel Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) Ag Rapid Test Kit. The IgM/IgG test assays for patient antibodies to the virus from a blood sample, while the Ag Rapid test assays for SARS-CoV-2 antigen from nasal swab samples.
Phase of development	Developed, awaiting approval
Proposed release	Appears available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers in China, but no clear approvals
Date	March 3, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	RDT
Authors/Company	Wuhan EasyDiagnosis Biomedicine Ltd
Description	The SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG Antibody test kit uses blood or plasma samples to detect patient antibodies. There is no listed sensitivity or specificity
Phase of development	No clear approvals
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, but no clear CE or FDA approvals
Date	Date not given

Country of development	Belgium
Type of Serological Test	Dipstick (lateral flow assay)
Authors/Company	Coris Bioconcept
Description	This lateral flow assay detects SARS-CoV-2 antigen in nasal mucus samples. The sensitivity was approximately 60% when tested in two different hospitals.
Phase of development	Clinically testing
Proposed release	available for purchase by research labs/healthcare providers, does not appear to have any approvals
Date	March 24, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Vitalant/UCSF
Description	It appears that Vitalant (a blood donation company) and UCSF have teamed up to make an in-house antibody test for SARS-CoV-2. It is an ELISA based assay, though they have not disclosed which antibodies are detected.
Phase of development	In development
Proposed release	Date not given
Date	March 31, 2020

Country of development	US
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Klein lab, JHSPH
Description	They have adapted an ELISA, based on Amanat et al 2020, that tests for IgG and IgM to the full length Spike protien and to the receptor binding domain (RBD). They are now working to get a mucosal IgA ELISA working. So far, they are using the kit to test samples from Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Phase of development	Pre-clinical
Proposed release	Not given, but being used for research use
Date	April 6, 2020

Country of development	China
Type of Serological Test	ELISA
Authors/Company	Zhang et al
Description	This group developed an in-house ELISA testing for patient antibodies (IgM and IgG) to the SARSr-CoV Rp3 nucleocapside (N) protein. They found that on day 5, 81% of patients were positive for IgM and 100% were positive for IgG (of 16 COVID-19 positive patients).
Phase of development	Pre-clinical
Proposed release	Not given
Date	February 17, 2020

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29 May 2017

Should North Korea ever have the capacity to launch a nuclear missile that could reach the U.S. mainland, Trump would have approximately ten minutes to react and make a decision to counterattack.

Olympics-Athletics-Ethiopian Barega wins men’s 10,000 metres

30 July 2021

The post Olympics-Athletics-Ethiopian Barega wins men’s 10,000 metres appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Olympics-Tennis-Djokovic’s Golden Slam dreams dashed, Zverev faces Khachanov in final

30 July 2021

The post Olympics-Tennis-Djokovic’s Golden Slam dreams dashed, Zverev faces Khachanov in final appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Selling out: America’s local landlords. Moving in: Big investors

30 July 2021

The post Selling out: America’s local landlords. Moving in: Big investors appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

From Facebook to Twitter, Big Tech sees social commerce driving sales growth

29 July 2021

The post From Facebook to Twitter, Big Tech sees social commerce driving sales growth appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Analysis: Biden’s COVID-19 strategy thwarted by anti-vaxxers, Delta variant

29 July 2021

The post Analysis: Biden’s COVID-19 strategy thwarted by anti-vaxxers, Delta variant appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Reuters Highlights: End-July 2021

29 July 2021

The post Reuters Highlights: End-July 2021 appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Olympics-Swimming-China smash expectations, world record to win relay gold

29 July 2021

The post Olympics-Swimming-China smash expectations, world record to win relay gold appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

"A Government That Has Killed People for Less": Pro-Saudi Social Media Swarms Leave Critics in Fear

1 August 2021

Before he was murdered by Saudi Arabia, Jamal Khashoggi faced online harassment from influencers and bots. Their new targets are worried.

The post “A Government That Has Killed People for Less”: Pro-Saudi Social Media Swarms Leave Critics in Fear appeared first on The Intercept.

His Conviction Was Overturned Amid Evidence of Innocence. The Supreme Court Could Throw It All Out.

31 July 2021

Arizona hopes the court’s conservative majority will do what prosecutors are unable to: send Barry Jones back to death row.

The post His Conviction Was Overturned Amid Evidence of Innocence. The Supreme Court Could Throw It All Out. appeared first on The Intercept.

“Worst of Brazil”: Covid-19 Vaccine Corruption Implicates Top Bolsonaro Allies

31 July 2021

A steady trickle of new information from a Senate probe is showing how vaccine shortages are linked to corruption.

The post “Worst of Brazil”: Covid-19 Vaccine Corruption Implicates Top Bolsonaro Allies appeared first on The Intercept.

Guatemalan Communities Turn Out for Indigenous-Led Nationwide Shutdown

30 July 2021

Guatemala’s attorney general fired a top prosecutor of corruption last week. Now, Indigenous peoples and social movements are calling for both her and the president to resign.

The post Guatemalan Communities Turn Out for Indigenous-Led Nationwide Shutdown appeared first on The Intercept.

Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Is a Truth-Teller in a Time of Systemic Deceit and Lethal Secrecy

30 July 2021

Hale should be pardoned and released, and the government should pay him restitution.

The post Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Is a Truth-Teller in a Time of Systemic Deceit and Lethal Secrecy appeared first on The Intercept.

Biden Has Said Pot Prisoners Should Be Free. Now He’s Poised to Send Some Back to Prison.

30 July 2021

Reports that the Biden administration will end home confinement for people released during the pandemic have spurred a flurry of activism.

The post Biden Has Said Pot Prisoners Should Be Free. Now He’s Poised to Send Some Back to Prison. appeared first on The Intercept.

NYPD Reforms Are Failing, Say Plaintiffs Who Won Landmark Stop-and-Frisk Case

30 July 2021

In 2013, a federal judge mandated oversight after finding that the NYPD's racially disproportionate use of stop-and-frisk was unconstitutional.

The post NYPD Reforms Are Failing, Say Plaintiffs Who Won Landmark Stop-and-Frisk Case appeared first on The Intercept.

MTV was launched 40 years ago today - thanks for 15 years of music...

1 August 2021

submitted by /u/CASchryver to r/funny [link] [comments]

[OC] Florida makes up 6.5% of the US population but has 20% of new Covid cases and hospitalizations.

1 August 2021

submitted by /u/JPAnalyst to r/dataisbeautiful [link] [comments]

Third time's a charm

1 August 2021

submitted by /u/PrestigiousAge to r/conspiracy [link] [comments]

Non-UK born Londoners, what's the best restaurant of your native cousine that you know in London?

1 August 2021

It's been a while I last saw this question here - so here it goes again! Yes, with the cousin typo and all!

Please start your response with the place you're from

submitted by /u/Lanky_Pollution_3919 to r/london [link] [comments]

God just released a new update where a stat bar now hovers over every human, and gives you the honour to choose between these six options. Which will you pick?

1 August 2021

View Poll

submitted by /u/BensReddits to r/polls [link] [comments]

Madam Marie Curie's laboratory notebook from 1899-1902, is still radioactive and will be for another 1500 years.

1 August 2021

submitted by /u/iam-isobel to r/AlternativeHistory [link] [comments]

#SOSUSA

1 August 2021

submitted by /u/Xi_Pimping to r/seculartalk [link] [comments]

Reader

30 July 2021

I’ve written before about how I don’t have notifications on my phone or computer. But that doesn’t stop computer programmes waving at me, trying to attract my attention.

If I have my email client open on my computer there’s a red circle with a number in it telling me how many unread emails I have. It’s the same with Slack. If Slack is running and somebody writes something to me, or @here, or @everyone, then a red circle blinks into existence.

There’s a category of programmes like this that want my attention—email, Slack, calendars. In each case, emptiness is the desired end goal. Seeing an inbox too full of emails or a calendar too full of appointments makes me feel queasy. In theory these programmes are acting on my behalf, working for me, making my life easier. And in many ways they do. They help me keep things organised. But they also need to me to take steps: read that email, go to that appointment, catch up with that Slack message. Sometimes it can feel like the tail is wagging the dog and I’m the one doing the bidding of these pieces of software.

My RSS reader should, in theory, fall into the same category. It shows me the number of unread items, just like email or Slack. But for some reason, it feels different. When I open my RSS reader to catch up on the feeds I’m subscribed to, it doesn’t feel like opening my email client. It feels more like opening a book. And, yes, books are also things to be completed—a bookmark not only marks my current page, it also acts as a progress bar—but books are for pleasure. The pleasure might come from escapism, or stimulation, or the pursuit of knowledge. That’s a very different category to email, calendars, and Slack.

I’ve managed to wire my neurological pathways to put RSS in the books category instead of the productivity category. I’m very glad about that. I would hate if catching up on RSS feeds felt like catching up on email. Maybe that’s why I’m never entirely comfortable with newsletters—if there’s an option to subscribe by RSS instead of email, I’ll always take it.

I have two folders in my RSS reader: blogs and magazines. Reading blog posts feels like catching up with what my friends are up to (even if I don’t actually know the person). Reading magazine articles feels like spending a lazy Sunday catching up with some long-form journalism.

I should update this list of my subscriptions. It’s a bit out of date.

Matt made a nice website explaining RSS. And Nicky Case recently wrote about reviving RSS.

Oh, and if you want to have my words in your RSS reader, I have plenty of options for you.

Hope

20 July 2021

My last long-distance trip before we were all grounded by The Situation was to San Francisco at the end of 2019. I attended Indie Web Camp while I was there, which gave me the opportunity to add a little something to my website: an “on this day” page.

I’m glad I did. While it’s probably of little interest to anyone else, I enjoy scrolling back to see how the same date unfolded over the years.

’Sfunny, when I look back at older journal entries they’re often written out of frustration, usually when something in the dev world is bugging me. But when I look back at all the links I’ve bookmarked the vibe is much more enthusiastic, like I’m excitedly pointing at something and saying “Check this out!” I feel like sentiment analyses of those two sections of my site would yield two different results.

But when I scroll down through my “on this day” page, it also feels like descending deeper into the dark waters of linkrot. For each year back in time, the probability of a link still working decreases until there’s nothing but decay.

Sadly this is nothing new. I’ve been lamenting the state of digital preservation for years now. More recently Jonathan Zittrain penned an article in The Atlantic on the topic:

Too much has been lost already. The glue that holds humanity’s knowledge together is coming undone.

In one sense, linkrot is the price we pay for the web’s particular system of hypertext. We don’t have two-way linking, which means there’s no centralised repository of links which would be prohibitively complex to maintain. So when you want to link to something on the web, you just do it. An a element with an href attribute. That’s it. You don’t need to check with the owner of the resource you’re linking to. You don’t need to check with anyone. You have complete freedom to link to any URL you want to.

But it’s that same simple system that makes the act of linking a gamble. If the URL you’ve linked to goes away, you’ll have no way of knowing.

As I scroll down my “on this day” page, I come across more and more dead links that have been snapped off from the fabric of the web.

If I stop and think about it, it can get quite dispiriting. Why bother making hyperlinks at all? It’s only a matter of time until those links break.

And yet I still keep linking. I still keep pointing to things and saying “Check this out!” even though I know that over a long enough timescale, there’s little chance that the link will hold.

In a sense, every hyperlink on the World Wide Web is little act of hope. Even though I know that when I link to something, it probably won’t last, I still harbour that hope.

If hyperlinks are built on hope, and the web is made of hyperlinks, then in a way, the World Wide Web is quite literally made out of hope.

I like that.

Solarpunk

19 July 2021

My talk on sci-fi and me for Beyond Tellerrand’s Stay Curious event was deliberately designed to be broad and expansive. This was in contrast to Steph’s talk which was deliberately narrow and focused on one topic. Specifically, it was all about solarpunk.

I first heard of solarpunk from Justin Pickard back in 2014 at an event I was hosting. He described it as:

individuals and communities harnessing the power of the photovoltaic solar panel to achieve energy-independence.

The sci-fi subgenre of solarpunk, then, is about these communities. The subgenre sets up to be deliberately positive, even utopian, in contrast to most sci-fi.

Most genres ending with the -punk suffix are about aesthetics. You know the way that cyberpunk is laptops, leather and sunglasses, and steampunk is zeppelins and top hats with goggles. Solarpunk is supposedly free of any such “look.” That said, all the examples I’ve seen seem to converge on the motto of “put a tree on it.” If a depiction of the future looks lush, verdant, fecund and green, chances are it’s solarpunk.

At least, it might be solarpunk. It would have to pass the criteria laid down by the gatekeepers. Solarpunk is manifesto-driven sci-fi. I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s one thing to apply a category to a piece of writing after it’s been written, but it’s another to start with an agenda-driven category and proceed from there. And as with any kind of classification system, the edges are bound to be fuzzy, leading to endless debates about what’s in and what’s out (see also: UX, UI, service design, content design, product design, front-end development, and most ironically of all, information architecture).

When I met up with Steph to discuss our talk topics and she described the various schools of thought that reside under the umbrella of solarpunk, it reminded me of my college days. You wouldn’t have just one Marxist student group, there’d be multiple Marxist student groups each with their own pillars of identity (Leninist, Trotskyist, anarcho-syndicalist, and so on). From the outside they all looked the same, but woe betide you if you mixed them up. It was exactly the kind of situation that was lampooned in Monty Python’s Life of Brian with its People’s Front of Judea and Judean People’s Front. Steph confirmed that those kind of rifts also exist in solarpunk. It’s just like that bit in Gulliver’s Travels where nations go to war over the correct way to crack an egg.

But there’s general agreement about what broadly constitutes solarpunk. It’s a form of cli-fi (climate fiction) but with an upbeat spin: positive but plausible stories of the future that might feature communities, rewilding, gardening, farming, energy independence, or decentralisation. Centralised authority—in the form of governments and corporations—is not to be trusted.

That’s all well and good but it reminds of another community. Libertarian preppers. Heck, even some of the solarpunk examples feature seasteading (but with more trees).

Politically, preppers and solarpunks couldn’t be further apart. Practically, they seem more similar than either of them would be comfortable with.

Both communities distrust centralisation. For the libertarians, this manifests in a hatred of taxation. For solarpunks, it’s all about getting off the electricity grid. But both want to start their own separate self-sustaining communities.

Independence. Decentralisation. Self-sufficiency.

There’s a fine line between Atlas Shrugged and The Whole Earth Catalog.

Hosting online events

1 July 2021

Back in 2014 Vitaly asked me if I’d be the host for Smashing Conference in Freiburg. I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be an easy gig. All of the advantages of speaking at a conference without the troublesome need to actually give a talk.

As it turned out, it was quite a bit of work:

It wasn’t just a matter of introducing each speaker—there was also a little chat with each speaker after their talk, so I had to make sure I was paying close attention to each and every talk, thinking of potential questions and conversation points. After two days of that, I was a bit knackered.

Last month, I hosted an other event, but this time it was online: UX Fest. Doing the post-talk interviews was definitely a little weirder online. It’s not quite the same as literally sitting down with someone. But the online nature of the event did provide one big advantage…

To minimise technical hitches on the day, and to ensure that the talks were properly captioned, all the speakers recorded their talks ahead of time. That meant I had an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the talks and prepare questions accordingly.

UX Fest had a day of talks every Thursday in June. There were four talks per Thursday. I started prepping on the Monday.

First of all, I just watched all the talks and let them wash me over. At this point, I’d often think “I’m not sure if I can come up with any questions for this one!” but I’d let the talks sit there in my subsconscious for a while. This was also a time to let connections between talks bubble up.

Then on the Tuesday and Wednesday, I went through the talks more methodically, pausing the video every time I thought of a possible question. After a few rounds of this, I inevitably ended up with plenty of questions, some better than others. So I then re-ordered them in descending levels of quality. That way if I didn’t get to the questions at the bottom of the list, it was no great loss.

In theory, I might not get to any of my questions. That’s because attendees could also ask questions on the day via a chat window. I prioritised those questions over my own. Because it’s not about me.

On some days there was a good mix of audience questions and my own pre-prepared questions. On other days it was mostly my own questions.

Either way, it was important that I didn’t treat the interview like a laundry list of questions to get through. It was meant to be a conversation. So the answer to one question might touch on something that I had made a note of further down the list, in which case I’d run with that. Or the conversation might go in a really interesting direction completely unrelated to the questions or indeed the talk.

Above all, these segments needed to be engaging and entertaining in a personable way, more like a chat show than a post-game press conference. So even though I had done lots of prep for interviewing each speaker, I didn’t want to show my homework. I wanted each interview to feel like a natural flow.

To quote the old saw, this kind of spontaneity takes years of practice.

There was an added complication when two speakers shared an interview slot for a joint Q&A. Not only did I have to think of questions for each speaker, I also had to think of questions that would work for both speakers. And I had to keep track of how much time each person was speaking so that the chat wasn’t dominated by one person more than the other. This was very much like moderating a panel, something that I enjoy very much.

In the end, all of the prep paid off. The conversations flowed smoothly and I was happy with some of the more thought-provoking questions that I had researched ahead of time. The speakers seemed happy too.

Y’know, there are not many things I’m really good at. I’m a mediocre developer, and an even worse designer. I’m okay at writing. But I’m really good at public speaking. And I think I’m pretty darn good at this hosting lark too.

Safari 15

29 June 2021

If you download Safari Technology Preview you can test drive features that are on their way in Safari 15. One of those features, announced at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, is coloured browser chrome via support for the meta value of “theme-color.” Chrome on Android has supported this for a while but I believe Safari is the first desktop browser to add support. They’ve also added support for the media attribute on that meta element to handle “prefers-color-scheme.”

This is all very welcome, although it does remind me a bit of when Internet Explorer came out with the ability to make coloured scrollbars. I mean, they’re nice features’n’all, but maybe not the most pressing? Safari is still refusing to acknowledge progressive web apps.

That’s not quite true. In her WWDC video Jen demonstrates how you can add a progressive web app like Resilient Web Design to your home screen. I’m chuffed that my little web book made an appearance, but when you see how you add a site to your home screen in iOS, it’s somewhat depressing.

The steps to add a website to your home screen are:

Tap the “share” icon. It’s not labelled “share.” It’s a square with an arrow coming out of the top of it. A drawer pops up. The option to “add to home screen” is nowhere to be seen. You have to pull the drawer up further to see the hidden options. Now you must find “add to home screen” in the list Copy Add to Reading List Add Bookmark Add to Favourites Find on Page Add to Home Screen Markup Print

It reminds of this exchange in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy:

“You hadn’t exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them had you? I mean like actually telling anyone or anything.”

“But the plans were on display…”

“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”

“That’s the display department.”

“With a torch.”

“Ah, well the lights had probably gone.”

“So had the stairs.”

“But look you found the notice didn’t you?”

“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of The Leopard.’”

Safari’s current “support” for adding progressive web apps to the home screen feels like the minimum possible …just enough to use it as a legal argument if you happen to be litigated against for having a monopoly on app distribution. “Hey, you can always make a web app!” It’s true in theory. In practice it’s …suboptimal, to put it mildly.

Still, those coloured tab bars are very nice.

It’s a little bit weird that this stylistic information is handled by HTML rather than CSS. It’s similar to the meta viewport value in that sense. I always that the plan was to migrate that to CSS at some point, but here we are a decade later and it’s still very much part of our boilerplate markup.

Some people have remarked that the coloured browser chrome can make the URL bar look like part of the site so people might expect it to operate like a site-specific search.

I also wonder if it might blur “the line of death”; that point in the UI where the browser chrome ends and the website begins. Does the unified colour make it easier to spoof browser UI?

Probably not. You can already kind of spoof browser UI by using the right shade of grey. Although the removal any kind of actual line in Safari does give me pause for thought.

I tend not to think of security implications like this by default. My first thought tends to be more about how I can use the feature. It’s only after a while that I think about how bad actors might abuse the same feature. I should probably try to narrow the gap between those thoughts.

ReCoil

28 June 2021

On the Coil developers site there’s a page proudly answering the question who is web monetized?

You’ll some familiar sites in there: CSS Tricks, A List Apart, and even this humble website, adactio.com.

But lest you think that this social proof is in any way an endorsement, I should probably clarify what my experience with Coil has been like.

Coil itself is grand. You get an identifier and you add it to your website in a meta element, much like you would do with indie web endpoints for webmentions or micropub.

The problem is with how you then actually get hold of any money that is owed to you from micropayments. Coil doesn’t handle this directly. You have to set up a “wallet” with a third-party service and therein lies the problem.

They are all terrible.

I’m not talking about the hoops you have to jump through to set up an account. I get it. This is scary financial stuff so of course I’ll need to scan my passport and hand over loads of information (more than is needed to open an actual bank account with, say, Monzo).

No, the problem is the stench of crypto.

I tried Stronghold for a while. They really, really don’t want you to use boring old-fashioned currencies like the euro or the pound. There’s also Gatehub. Same. And there’s Uphold. Also a shell game.

I’ve been using Coil and Uphold for a while now, and I’ve amassed a grand total of £6.06 — woo-hoo! So I log into my account and attempt to transfer that sweet, sweet monetisation and …I can’t.

The amount needs to be greater than or equal to £11.53 GBP

But I can still exchange that £6.06 for magic beans like Bitcoin, XRP, and Ether.

The whole thing smells of grift and it feels icky to be in any way associated with it. I understand why Coil needs to partner with existing payment providers, but it would be nice if just one of them weren’t propping up ponzi schemes. If anyone has found a way to get web monetisation to work without needing like you need to take a shower afterwards, I’d love to hear about it.

An email to The Guardian

27 June 2021

From: jeremy@adactio.com To: guardian.readers@theguardian.com

Hello,

My name is Jeremy and I’ve been a paid subscriber to The Guardian for a few years now. But I’m considering cancelling my account after reading this editorial.

On the face of it, the headline of the article sound reasonable and hard to disagree with. But the substance of the article downplays anti-trans views as simply being “gender critical.” This is akin to describing segregationist views as “integration critical.”

This line is particularly egregious:

As a society, we need to resolve the question of how to protect the privacy, dignity and rights of trans women while also respecting the privacy, dignity and rights of those born female.

Setting up these positions as though one in any way invalidates the other gives oxygen to those who wish to paint someone’s identity as a threat. I’m very disappointed to see this viewpoint expressed in an editorial on The Guardian website.

Yours,

Jeremy Keith

Drive to charge packagers for recycling, but industry fights

31 July 2021

States across the U.S. are looking to adopt new recycling regimes that require producers of packaging to pay for its inevitable disposal—but industry is digging in to try to halt the movement.

Heatwave causes massive melt of Greenland ice sheet

31 July 2021

Greenland's ice sheet has experienced a "massive melting event" during a heatwave that has seen temperatures more than 10 degrees above seasonal norms, according to Danish researchers.

Image: Hubble spots squabbling galactic siblings

31 July 2021

A dramatic triplet of galaxies takes center stage in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which captures a three-way gravitational tug-of-war between interacting galaxies. This system—known as Arp 195—is featured in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a list which showcases some of the weirder and more wonderful galaxies in the universe.

UN warns hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots

31 July 2021

Hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots in the next three months with the highest alerts for "catastrophic" situations in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region, southern Madagascar, Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria, two U.N. agencies warned Friday.

World's first commercial re-programmable satellite blasts into space

30 July 2021

The world's first commercial fully re-programmable satellite lifted off from French Guiana on Friday on board an Ariane 5 rocket, ushering in a new era of more flexible communications.

UK court overturns govt go-ahead for Stonehenge road tunnel

30 July 2021

A British court on Friday overturned government approval for the construction of a controversial road tunnel close to the Stonehenge stone circle, following opposition from historians, archaeologists and druids.

US watchdog upholds SpaceX's Moon lander contract

30 July 2021

NASA did not violate regulations when it decided to give SpaceX the sole contract to build a Moon lander, a watchdog said Friday, in a ruling that denied challenges by competitors Blue Origin and Dynetics.

CORONAVIRUS TESTS -WHAT’S AVAILABLE, WHAT’S COMING, WHAT’S IN TRIAL – JUST THE FACTS (APRIL 2020)

APRIL 18th 2020

Tests approved in the United States

Tests approved outside the United States

Tests approved for research or surveillance purposes

Tests that are still in development

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