Rarely do I gush over some book or article I just read. You know me, eternal skeptic, fountain of snark, only willing to give up sarcasm for the 40 days of Lent. But then along comes this article from the current New Yorker, titled “Why a Negative Test Doesn’t Guarantee You Don’t Have the Coronavirus.” And all of a sudden, I’m as giddy as a cheerleader. Oh, no, wait – maybe that was yesterday’s post? – but I digress.
Lord knows, I haven’t ordered a diagnostic lab test in almost 35 years. And rarely do I keep up with the latest from the NEJM. But this resident at Mass General has written a fine piece that captures quite nicely the statistical basis of all medical tests, along with the vagaries of test interpretation, in an article that’s highly accessible for the general reader. I highly recommend it if you have questions about Coronavirus tests – or indeed, about any lab results.
Read it in good health.
Now, take two aspirin and call me in the morning…
