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Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
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25 Apr, 10 tweets, 4 min read
Abbott's #BinaxNow tests are now available over the counter. Many people are wondering about their accuracy so here is a roundup of what we know. 1/10 @michaelmina_lab
The short version: False positives are exceedingly rare. If you get a positive test, take it seriously. Several studies show that false negatives have low viral loads & are far less likely to be contagious. Rapid antigen testing catches the vast majority of contagious cases. 2/10
BinaxNow can be used to test both adults and children aged 2+ regardless of symptoms. Far right panel shows 100% sensitivity for the highest viral load (low Ct) cases for both adults and children regardless of symptoms. 3/10
Test accuracy is also verified in real-world study setting here: 4/10
Remember these tests are designed to be used for "serial testing" which means 2+ tests performed with 24-36 hrs in between (daily, 2x/week). Testing more than once reduces the chance of missing contagious cases even further. 5/10
I wrote a broader overview of screening tests and why they're so important. Note they can also be used for vaccinated people if needed. 6/10
And spoke with @BillNye on his podcast to explain screening tests: 7/10
This piece explains why the EUA for #BinaxNOW back in August 2020 was a game-changer: 8/10
Why is proactive testing so important to slow asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission? 9/10
Why is COVID19 test turnaround so important? 10/10

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More from @ZoeMcLaren

Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
29 Jul
I got an mRNA booster shot in late June about 12 weeks after getting J&J. With the uncertainty around J&J’s protection against Delta, which is unlikely to be resolved soon, I felt more comfortable with the booster than without it. Let me explain. 1/9
There is a good chance an mRNA booster isn’t needed at all. One shot of J&J provides high levels of protection against serious illness, even with Delta. Most J&J recipients are surrounded by mRNA vaccine coverage which provides indirect protection. 2/9
What evidence do we have?
1. Mix-and-match studies found that AstraZeneca then mRNA performed about as well as 2 shots of mRNA. AZ and J&J are not perfectly interchangeable, but analogous enough that this study is relevant. 3/9
nature.com/articles/d4158…
Read 11 tweets
Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
13 May
Ohio is running a lottery to give 5 people $1 million each if they've been vaccinated. It sounds like a crazy idea but I think it's brilliant. Let me explain. 1/9
1. It creates buzz and gets everyone talking about the vaccine. That opens the doors for conversations that will help encourage vaccine hesitant people to get vaccinated. 2/9
2. Lotteries with bigger jackpots draw more people in. A million dollars might seem like a lot of money but it has the potential to massively boost vaccination rates. 3/9
Read 9 tweets
Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
18 Apr
Unvaccinated people can fairly safely spend time with fully vaccinated friends unmasked & indoors. It’s a relatively safe way to make the pandemic more bearable for all of us while keeping cases down. My piece in the @nytimes @nytopinion explains. 1/8
nytimes.com/2021/04/16/opi…
Data from the @CDCgov shows vaccines not only protect against severe illness, but also greatly reduce the risk of mild and asymptomatic cases, so they help prevent overall transmission too. Vaccinated people can get infected, but it is rare. 2/8
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…
Spending time with a fully vaccinated person unmasked & indoors is far safer than the same contact with another unvaccinated person. This strategy is in line with @CDCgov guidelines that made the unmasked reunions of vaccinated grandparents with their grandchildren possible. 3/8
Read 8 tweets
Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
21 Mar
If you're at extremely low risk for a severe case of COVID19 why does getting vaccinated make sense? The simple answer is that you still reap massive personal benefits from getting vaccinated because it helps end the pandemic. Let me explain 1/8
Vaccines provide two types of protection: (1) direct protection to the recipient and (2) indirect protection to others by slowing transmission. The transmission-slowing component is a lot bigger than you think and probably greatly outweighs the direct component. 2/8
Every vaccination is like a speed bump that slows transmission down. More speed bumps mean fewer cases, which makes it easier to bring the pandemic to an end and return to normal activities like going to bars and concerts. 3/8
Read 9 tweets
Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
25 Jan
Here's a helpful analogy: We are in a battle against the virus. Each vaccine dose can be used to give armor to the most vulnerable OR to lay a stone in the wall to keep the virus out. 1/4
If doses are limited, it makes sense to start by *only* giving armor to the vulnerable since it offers them a lot of protection from illness and death.

We could try to build the wall first, but the vulnerable wouldn't be protected from the virus until the wall was finished. 2/4
So, while doses & infrastructure are too limited to vaccinate enough less-vulnerable people to control the virus, we must focus on getting the most-vulnerable vaccinated. It's the most effective way to protect them.

Only then should we turn to vaccinating the less vulnerable.3/4
Read 4 tweets
Zoë McLaren, PhD Profile picture
25 Jan
Could throwing some COVID19 vaccine doses in the trash actually help save lives? Buckle up. This thread might break your brain. 1/9
Some argue that it's a net positive for non-prioritized people (e.g. young people) to get leftover COVID19 vaccine doses that would otherwise end up in the trash. Let me try to convince you that this is far less helpful than you think and actually likely costs lives. 2/9
According to the CDC, someone aged 65-74 is 90 times more likely to die from COVID19 than someone 18-29.👇 So vaccinating people 65-74 is *about 90 times more effective* at preventing death than vaccinating someone 18-29. 3/9
Read 9 tweets

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