Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Trinity Biotech (TRIBY) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: AgAuUSA who wrote (11246)	12/8/1998 9:16:00 AM
From: AgAuUSA	Respond to of 14328

CDC Encourages Use of Quick HIV Test 12.56 p.m. ET (1756 GMT) March 27, 1998 By Chelsea J. Carter, Associated Press ATLANTA — Tony Braswell's staff spends weeks, sometimes months, waiting for people who took anonymous HIV tests to return for their test results. Many never show. "It's an anonymous testing site. It's not like you can call these people up and say 'Hey, your test came back positive. We need to talk to you,"' said Braswell, executive director of AID Atlanta. The federal government on Thursday recommended the use of a new HIV test that yields results instantly, making it possible for health workers to cut down on cases slipping through the cracks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the new test would catch nearly 700,000 people a year, including 8,000 infected with HIV, who take the test but never return for results, said Bernard Branson, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. There is a downside: An additional 8,000 people would receive false-positive results, said Branson, the chief architect of the CDC's recommendation. "It's clearly a risk messing with people's psyche, telling them they are HIV-positive," he said. "But you have to ask whether the benefit outweighs the risk." Both the new and the old tests look for antibodies in the blood. But the traditional, one-week test also looks for specific protein bands that are considered the absolute indicator of HIV. The CDC estimated the false-positive rate of infections using 1995 data. The Bell Flower Clinic in Indianapolis has been using the rapid test for about a year, said Mary McKee, spokeswoman for the Marion County, Ind., health department. To combat false results, the clinic gives three quick HIV tests. If one or more comes back with a positive, a traditional blood test is taken to determine whether it's a false positive or the person really has HIV. The results are made available in about seven days, she said. "Most people felt it would be better to know ... because they could take the precautions they need to take with their partners" while they waited, Ms. McKee said. The CDC said the use of the new tests should be based on a combination of factors: the prevalence of HIV in a community and return rates for test results. In cities where there is a high prevalence of HIV and a low return rate, the new tests should be used, Branson said. The new test is not publicly funded and costs $10 to $25 at public clinics across the country. Traditional AIDS tests at public clinics typically are free. Currently, only one rapid test has been approved by the FDA for use in clinics in the United States. The test, manufactured by Murex of Norcross, Ga., takes about 10 minutes to determine whether the virus is present. Several other tests are awaiting FDA approval, Branson said. © 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. comments@foxnews.com © 1998, News America Digital Publishing, Inc. d/b/a Fox News Online. All rights reserved. Fox News is a registered trademark of 20th Century Fox Film Corp. foxnews.com