From: Keith Elis (hagbard@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Tue May 13 2003 - 14:48:40 MDT
Pat Fallon:
> I agree with John.
<snip>
Thank you, Pat, for that excellent post. But, you didn't mention the
reliability of the Western blot and PCR tests. Are they equally
suspicious? As I understand it, the Western Blot is used to confirm or
deny an ELISA positive, so if an ELISA positive can't be trusted, can a
Western blot positive be trusted? PCR tests would seem even less
reliable, and used only if a Western blot were inconclusive in a patient
whose lifestyle and activity suggests high-risk *and* who had received a
positive ELISA test. But, you seem to be arguing that no one knows
really what these tests are actually testing for. Fascinating,
controversial stuff. If these tests yield spurious results, what does
that mean for AIDS statistics worldwide?
Keith
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