SONA RESULTSHave not posted recently because there seemed little point. No test news, no test comparisons to be made and the only thing to be done was to wait to see when Test Approval was to be achieved.
Now we have this detailed update which is an extended explanation of the SaudiVax tweet form some weeks ago. I had always wondered why Sona did not themselves release this information as SaudiVax´s tweet seemed so positive. Now they have done so and it is indeed very positive and the timing of the release perhaps significant.
I analysed the possibilities,relevance and implications of these results in a few posts several weeks ago that are still available and my conclusions were exactly those that Sona now draw attention to:
1. that this is a test that has tremendous sensitivity(100%) in the Asymptomatic and Low Viral load patients and is ideally suited to be used in a Screening Programme.
2. That the rather lower published overall sensitivity (85%)and selectivity were due to hospital patients with long-standing infection who should really be considered non-contagious and so made the results look much less impressive than they really were.
2. That Approval on the same basis as the Abbott test should be achieved now.
3. Once further Validation is done it promises to be perfect for Non-Prescription Home Use and should get FDA Approval for this purpose.
4. On the basis of these results it is just possible that HC might even approve for home use very soon, as they do not have the same published restrictions as the FDA on non-prescription use, although this is only a thought.
5. Other countries such as Saudi may well follow suit.
I e-mailed my analysis and theories on the results and implications to the well-known epidemiologist Michael Mina asking for his opinion but
he did not reply as I fully expected he might not.
In any event this leaves SONA as the only potential test, available at the moment, that could address the Asymptomatic Screening and Home Test market.
We can only hope that HC gives us Approval very soon and that the FDA will re-assess once Biden listens and acts on the science.