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large-scale non-invasive testing

by Walter Casey | Nov 16, 2020 | in Introduce Your Idea or Solution

Use masks to detect presence of virus. Retrieve discarded masks from public places, ask for used masks to be given to diagnostic team. Use necessary procedures to determine presence  and amount of virus. would not require consent forms. no need to identify carriers in this stage, simply attempting to determine number of non/un-reported cases.

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Eric Gastfriend Nov 17, 2020

Makes sense -- it would just require a lot of manpower. Public health workers in every town would have to constantly be collecting and testing the discarded masks.

Walter Casey Dec 4, 2020

Perhaps a way to decrease the manpower load would you be placing discard boxes in large congregation areas. Walmart, Target, hospital entries (“please discard disposable masks Here”), etc. While there might be a minuscule amount of cross contamination, all in all the mask would be reflective of the wearer - whoever that where my anonymously be.

Andrea Pitkus Dec 3, 2020

How would this approach meet all the CLIA, HHS, and public health jurisdiction reporting requirements where specific patient results are reported?

Walter Casey Dec 4, 2020

Not sure it needs to. Although you’re talking about multiple jurisdictions here, all in all, this is random physical data. The whole point of this is to establish prevalence more than anything.

As well, I would think that by creating a way to scan mask, this would eventually lead to a method to simply scan a “cough in a box” approach to determining who has or does not have the disease.

Andrea Pitkus Dec 4, 2020

Are you saying that your approach is surveillance testing where individuals are not identified?

Walter Casey Dec 4, 2020

Yes. Identification would not be realistically possible, and ‘buy-in’ from private enterprise in large, public, congregate settings would demand anonymity.

Much like effluent testing, this would be an examination of discarded evidence.

Andrea Pitkus Dec 4, 2020

Where individuals are identified with COVID testing, these are reportable by law either via ELR or eCR.

Walter Casey Dec 4, 2020

Yes, true- but- See earlier comment (effluence) on this.