SpaceX’s Elon Musk says he is tested clear for COVID-19 on eve of NASA astronaut open

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine talk with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken earlier to a scrubbed open on Could well 27, 2020. Hurley and Behnken successfully launched on their subsequent are trying, on Could well 30, and spent two months at the Global Impart Space.

(Image: © NASA TV)

With SpaceX on the eve of launching four astronauts to the Global Impart Space for NASA in a historical flight, CEO Elon Musk has launched that he has bought mixed outcomes from most up-to-date assessments for the radical coronavirus..

Musk made the announcement on Twitter early nowadays (Nov. 13). It is not yet clear what, if anything else, those outcomes may presumably well perhaps mean for SpaceX’s Crew-1 open with NASA, currently scheduled to take off from the agency’s Kennedy Impart Center in Florida Sunday night (Nov. 15) at 7: 27 p.m. EST (0027 GMT on Nov. 16). NASA has been cautious about crew health since lengthy earlier to COVID-19 burst on the scene and has directed agency staff to work remotely as significant as that it is possible you’ll presumably well perhaps imagine to unhurried the disease’s spread.

“When anyone assessments clear for COVID right here at the Kennedy Impart Center and across NASA, it is miles our protection for that individual to quarantine and self-isolate, so we glance forward to that that may be taking space,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine acknowledged for the length of a files convention nowadays when asked about tweets wherein Musk acknowledged he had bought every clear and unfavorable assessments. Bridenstine acknowledged he had talked to Musk two days ago, earlier to the checking out difficulty arose.

Live updates: SpaceX’s Crew-1 astronaut open for NASA


Related: NASA urges COVID caution for spectators of SpaceX Crew-1 open

Something extraordinarily bogus is taking place. Became tested for covid four times nowadays. Two assessments came wait on unfavorable, two came wait on clear. Identical machine, identical take a look at, identical nurse. Rapid antigen take a look at from BD.November 13, 2020

“We’re taking a look to SpaceX to abet out any contact-tracing that is appropriate,” Bridenstine acknowledged. “Obviously if there are changes that must be made, we can discover at those. However it with out a doubt’s very early gleaming now to know if any changes are significant at this level.”

Bridenstine emphasised that he is ignorant of any contact between Musk and the four astronauts scheduled to toddle Crew-1. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Jap astronaut Soichi Noguchi are scheduled to stay in home for six and a half months, living and engaged on the Global Impart Space.

When asked whether or not the open would be delayed if any contact between Musk and crewmembers was as soon as identified, Bridenstine declined to claim. In step with Steve Stich, program supervisor for NASA’s Industrial Crew Program, speaking on Oct. 28, the crew entered “soft quarantine,” when to boot they may be able to fair still stay at home with household, the weekend of Oct. 24 and Oct. 25 and was as soon as scheduled to enter a extra stringent quarantine on Oct. 31.

Related: SpaceX’s Crew-1 astronaut mission in pictures

“There’s loads to be taught,” he acknowledged. “Our astronauts were in quarantine for weeks, and they would not hang had contact with anyone. They must be in ultimate shape.”

For the length of one more Crew-1 files convention this afternoon, Benji Reed, SpaceX’s senior director of human spaceflight applications, acknowledged that the firm has “your complete protections in space” wished to abet the safety of all personnel in the event of a clear COVID take a look at.

“We present out the contact tracing that desires to be performed, and I will guarantee all americans that we’re taking a look ultimate for the Crew-1 open and all of the severe personnel enthusiastic,” Reed acknowledged. 

Norm Knight, deputy supervisor of the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Impart Center in Houston, stressed out that the safety protocols discover to all americans.

“It is miles not important if you occur to may presumably well perhaps be Elon Musk or Jim Bridenstine,” Knight acknowledged for the length of this afternoon’s files convention. “Whereas you hang got not met those protocols, or if any of those protocols were compromised, then we’re not going to can will let you scheme the crew.” 

When SpaceX’s first crewed flight for NASA, dubbed Demo-2, first tried open on Could well 27, Musk visited NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken with Bridenstine after the spaceflyers donned their suits and earlier to they headed to the open pad. Musk and Bridenstine wore masks and stood at a distance from the astronauts guided by a cordon. That open was as soon as scrubbed attributable to weather; Musk did not talk to them earlier to their successful open on Could well 30, even supposing he was as soon as seen maskless (as were with others) in the open abet watch over heart at Kennedy Impart Center.

Whether Musk now has COVID-19 is unclear.

“Became tested for covid four times nowadays,” Elon Musk wrote in a tweet posted in the wee hours nowadays. “Two assessments came wait on unfavorable, two came wait on clear. Identical machine, identical take a look at, identical nurse. Rapid antigen take a look at from BD.”

In his tweet, Musk additionally wrote that the implications indicated “one thing extraordinarily bogus,” but no diagnostic take a look at, critically no swiftly take a look at, is finest. Every checking out methodology for every an infection will produce a sure number of incorrect clear and incorrect unfavorable detections: some number of clear assessments when there is not any an infection and unfavorable outcomes when there is an infection.

Symptoms of a conventional chilly. Nothing weird to this level.November 13, 2020

For the explicit take a look at Musk musty, incorrect positives are extra possible when COVID-19 an infection rates are low and incorrect negatives are extra possible when disease rates are excessive, in step with materials referring to the take a look at revealed by the Food and Drug Administration. That document additionally notes that the take a look at is less legit at detecting infections when a sample is taken better than 5 days into the illness.

In separate tweets, Musk wrote that he has had “Light sniffles & cough & minute fever past few days,” and no symptoms beyond those conventional of a chilly, so it is miles not clear how some distance into the an infection he would were when the tested samples were gathered. Infrequently, folks start up showing symptoms about 5 days after exposure and are infectious for a day or two earlier to showing symptoms.

Musk additionally wrote that he is getting PCR diagnostic assessments as neatly but doesn’t yet hang those outcomes. Even supposing a polymerase chain response take a look at is continuously extra ultimate, this can still produce incorrect negatives and extra hardly ever ever ever, incorrect positives. 

Sorting out is a public health blueprint, not a certificate of interior most security; outcomes are important in helping officers desire the spot of a neighborhood outbreak. However the person response to a unfavorable take a look at varies. “If a individual has not had any identified exposure to COVID-19 and is not experiencing symptoms, there is not any must quarantine if a take a look at is unfavorable,” in step with specialists at the Johns Hopkins University College of Public Health. “If symptoms are most up-to-date but a individual has a unfavorable COVID-19 take a look at, that individual must still discover home isolation ideas.” Isolation ideas currently demand staying at home for 10 days without a contact with the out of doors world, in step with the Centers for Disease Protect watch over and Prevention. 

As of e-newsletter, SpaceX did not respond to a seek files from for comment about Musk’s most up-to-date function, present safety features and any possible impacts to the open.

It is possible you’ll presumably well perhaps look SpaceX’s Crew-1 open for NASA dwell right here at Impart.com on Saturday starting at 3: 30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT).

Editor’s screen: This anecdote was as soon as as much as this level at 7: 30 p.m. EST on Nov. 13 with the contemporary Crew-1 open date of Nov. 15 and to add comments from Benji Reed and Norm Knight.

Email Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or discover her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Agree to us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.