30. COVID-19: Why a negative test doesn't clear you to see Grandma, Vax updates

We review the false negative rates of different COVID tests (PCR and rapid antigen), the known knowns and known unknowns of the Moderna vaccine. 

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We discuss:

Why the lack of a legitimate gold standard is a challenge when comparing different tests for COVID-19 [01:45]; RT-PCR:  why we shouldn't be reassured by a negative test result [03:45]; How your pretest probability of disease affects your interpretation of test results [07:00]; The COVID antigen test:  faster and more widely available, but less accurate [08:10]; A NYT report of a rapid antigen test study showing suboptimal test sensitivity when applied to asymptomatic people [10:15]; Why you can’t rely on a negative test to make your decision to travel or spend time with family/friends for the holidays [12:05]; Whether you need to quarantine if you’ve been in close contact with someone who themselves was exposed to a known COVID patient [13:30]; The Moderna vaccine which has a reported efficacy of 94.5% [14:00]; And more.

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