Coronavirus Testing in San Diego
Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, testing has been a very hot topic. It’s hard for the average person, without a background in science, to keep up with all the testing terminology, and even more so with new developments and changes in public health guidelines.
The current tests that exist for COVID-19 can be broadly classified into two types: a viral detection test and an antibody test. A viral test detects whether someone has been infected with the virus. This is the kind of test that’s been used for months now and also may be called a diagnostic, molecular, genetic, RNA, or PCR test. PCR refers to polymerase chain reaction, the technology which amplifies genetic material of the virus if present in a sample. Samples are collected from the nose or throat using a swab. More recently-released PCR tests can be performed on a saliva sample.
In general, PCR tests are considered the more accurate and reliable kind of COVID-19 tests, said Dukes. Because most require trained healthcare workers to collect samples and trained lab technicians to process the tests using specialized supplies and instruments, all these factors have a bearing on the overall availability. Generally, results from a PCR test take days (and weeks, when there were previous severe backlogs across the country).
The latest viral tests on the market are antigen tests which quickly detect fragments of surface proteins on the spikes of the virus. While antigen tests are cheaper to produce and more easily administered, they are less sensitive than a PCR test. There are a few kinds of viral tests that produce more rapid results, either as point-of-care, meaning they’re done in a patient care setting, or performed in labs with special technology, but their use is often limited, and kits from some makers have been found to be less accurate.
The second major category of COVID-19 testing we’re hearing about is antibody testing, also known as serological tests. Rather than testing for a current infection, these look for the antibodies that show up 1-3 weeks after the body’s immune system has started to fight off the virus. This is done through a blood sample, typically through a simple finger prick.
Dukes explained that there are two main types of antibodies and most of these tests detect both. “One antibody, immunoglobulin M (IgM), is an indicator of a recent or active infection. Immunoglobulin G (IgG), on the other hand, shows previous exposure to the virus and may indicate some degree of immunity, but it’s not yet known if it’s true immunity and if so, how long it lasts,” he said. “With some kits, a positive tends to be a true positive but a negative doesn’t necessarily mean a person doesn’t have COVID. It could mean their body just hasn’t started making the antibodies that the test detects.”
With the rapidly changing landscape of the COVID-19 outbreak and the intense testing demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the sale of hundreds of products for antibody testing without review or approval by them. “As you can imagine, the performance of these tests can vary greatly,” said Dukes.
Aside from what test kits have been manufactured and are on the market, access to the various types of testing is a whole different element. There is wide variation from state to state, and in some cases, between healthcare settings, as to what testing is being used, based on what’s available and the criteria that has been set. Vice President of Ancillary and Clinical Services Brad D. Kirkes, MBA, MHA, OTR/L, CHT, FACHE, said that Orange County Covid Clinic and other hospital systems in Delaware have worked with the Department of Public Health to align testing methods. “This means that if we use an antibody test, we will all follow the same algorithm related to the consistency of testing. This also holds true for the PCR tests,” said Kirkes. “I am proud that as a state, the hospitals aligned early on in the COVID outbreak to ensure we were consistent in testing methods and practices across all hospital systems where testing was being performed.”
If you’re experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus, contact your primary care provider or Orange County Covid Clinic’s Coronavirus Management Team (CMT) at (949) 518-9877 so a medical professional can guide you appropriately on the next steps you should take. Visit Rapid Covid Testing San Diego to learn more.
Can Corona virus be killed?
The entire world is familiar with the havoc created by the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and yet there is no concrete cure to this deadly virus. Since this virus has rapidly spread in most of the colder regions of the world, it has led people to believe that the virus may tend to disappear as the summer months arrive. Speculations are that this virus may wane with the increase in the temperature i.e. in the warm weather, however, there is no staunch data or proof to back up this assumption.
Usually, flu spreads during the cold winter months and tends to decrease its spread in the warm months. It is suggested that the coronavirus may be seasonal and there is hope that its spread may reduce as the temperature warms up. According to the research, it was found that there were various types of coronaviruses out of which three show the characteristics of having winter seasonality. However, one strain of the coronavirus found among patients having weak immunity systems has the tendency to grow and proliferate throughout all the seasons. Also, the fact that the virus has spread among various hot, humid regions of the world cannot be ignored.
Considering ‘coronavirus’ as a variable factor here, it can be easily explained in a way that, there may be an indirect proportionality between the coronavirus and temperature factor i.e. if the temperature increases it leads to the decrease of the spread of the virus. However, the temperature isn’t the only factor that affects the growth of the virus.
It is quite difficult to come to a conclusion regarding this topic. Scientists and researchers tried to compare it with the other pandemic outbreaks in the past. However, each flu pandemic has had its own character and they do not follow the same seasonal patterns, thus making it difficult to conclude whether high temperature will kill coronavirus. For e.g. Spanish flu outbreak was the most in the summer season as opposed to the outbreaks of other flu that are influenced by cold months.
Coronavirus comes under the family hierarchy of ‘enveloped viruses’. Since they are enveloped in an oily, greasy layer scientifically known as ‘lipid bilayer’, that freezes and hardens in the cool temperatures, it protects the virus thus keeping it alive for a longer time. However, chances are that this process won’t happen in places having higher temperatures, thus making it possible that the virus may diminish in hotter temperature.
Climate and temperature are of course some of the important factors because they decide the stability of the virus outside in the air once it is expelled from the person in the form of mucus i.e. while talking, sneezing or coughing. If the climate is such that it supports the stability of the exposed virus, the virus will spread rapidly. However, environmental factors are not the only factors responsible for the spread. It is the people who are the primary carriers of the virus. Thus, the temperature of the person’s body to affects the virus to some extent. People should avoid coming in contact with each other because that only is the most probable solution to stop the transmission of the disease.
However, it is a fact that there isn’t ample evidence to prove that whether warm weather really kills this coronavirus strain. As various regions of the world show dynamic humidity levels, it is difficult to create every possible weather in the lab to see its effect on the virus. Also, sometimes maybe the weather change is not the influencing factor but the strain of the virus may change due to some specific weather. Scientists have studied the real-world cases, still, there is no data to back up this statement. Most types of flu tend to stop spreading in summer; however, COVID-19 did spread in the regions of Iraq and Australia in-spite of warm weather conditions.
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San Diego COVID-19 testing | Orange County Covid Clinic
COVID-19 or coronavirus has created havoc all across the world and is considered to be a global pandemic. It has resulted in a nation being shut down with drastic effects on the world economies and health systems. COVID 19 testing is done to identify the coronavirus among the individuals and is mainly conducted through Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCR). It helps to detect Influenza A, Influenza B, H1N1, and other antibodies produced due to the virus. Serology is another type of method used as it shows the presence of antibodies, i.e. whether the person has been infected at some point in the past, whether they show the symptoms or are asymptomatic.
The PCR test is conducted by using a swab by taking a sample of mucus from the back of the throat or a saliva sample. In the PCR test, the enzyme ‘polymerase’ is used to duplicate a segment of a patient’s DNA i.e. to create the copies. It all depends on how the DNA segment gets copied. Some viruses like SARS-COV-2 are made of RNA instead of DNA, in such a case, a process called as reverse transcription is used to convert RNA into DNA, after which the duplication process takes place. Duplication leads to the creation of copies that are then exposed to fluorescent DNA binding that shows whether there’s the presence of a virus or not. According to the scientist and researchers, this process takes approximately 4-6 hours to a day. However, this test is only valid in the first week of the disease because later the virus disappears from the throat, however, it continues to spread itself further in the body especially the lungs.
Coming to our nation, India is conducting the PCR test in two stages:
STAGE 1: testing the genetic elements commonly found in the body because of the presence of coronavirus.
STAGE 2: SARS-COV-2 specific tests that detect the presence of this virus only.
Nations affected with this virus are regularly conducting these tests with the motive to detect, cure, and minimize the presence of the virus among the citizens. Statistics show that, as of 22 April, the countries that published their testing data have on average performed a number of tests equal to only 1.2% of their population, and no country has tested samples equal to more than 13% of its population.
Testing is the key to keep track and find out the extent of the spread of the virus. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct regular tests, especially in the most affected areas to detect and avoid further cases. It helps us to identify the infected individuals and efficiently guide them to appropriate medical resources thus helping them as well as the people around. One of the important requirements is the gathering of the data. The data about the number of confirmed cases in a region is necessary to understand the growth levels of the pandemic. It is also mandatory that the government provides accurate information about the spread of the virus, detected cases, confirmed cases and deaths to the public so that they understand the gravity of the situation.
‘Social distancing’ and ‘quarantine’ are the precautions given by the government for the public to follow, however, the priority should be focussed on conducting as many tests as possible. Through a continuous chain of testing, chances are we might be able to curb this grave situation before it affects people in increased numbers or gives rise to the second wave of the pandemic. The probability that a person has had COVID-19 after a positive result from the test is less than 50%. They might show symptoms that the test must have detected or it might be because they were detected positive in the past. However, there are ample chances of people getting cured through regular precautions taken against respiratory diseases.
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Why Covid-19 infections affect people differently? | Orange County Covid Testing
Coronavirus is said to be a novel virus i.e. it is a new strain of the virus that has not been identified before in any animal or human, leading to a lot of uncertainties regarding the effect of the virus on different people. It is observed that the COVID-19 affects different people differently; for some, it may start with coughing fits and fever, others may experience muscle aches and lack of taste, while some may even be asymptomatic.
A concrete explanation of why this novel virus has different effects on different people is not yet concluded, however, it is closely associated with the immune system of the person. It depends on how your immune system responds to the spread of the virus in your body. Once the virus enters your body, it starts replicating at an immense rate, that’s when your immunity power gets triggered and acts as a resistor to fight and stop the spread of the virus. The immunity power of each person’s body differs, resulting in varied behavior of Covid-19 infection among people.
The extent of the virus also depends on the body’s resistance against the unwelcomed virus. A person might get so sick that they need to be hospitalized, while some infected people may get cured just by following home-quarantine. There were many other strains of coronavirus that had affected mankind in the past, namely MERS-CoV, which caused infections in the Middle East, and SARS-CoV, which caused the 2003 SARS outbreak. The new COVID-19 spreads in the same way as the previous strains of coronavirus i.e. by attacking the human respiratory system causing similar symptoms as the common flu, however, this strain of the virus is much better adapted to humans beings causing a grave number of cases all over the globe.
People having poor health conditions or pre-existing health problems like heart disease, respiratory problems, diabetes or cancer are likely to get affected adversely and can have life-threating COVID-19 infections. Some people may get really sick while some people may not have any problem. There are various factors because of which COVID-19 infections affect people differently but researchers are still not able to find the core reason behind this unusual behaviour.
Some researchers stated that the type of blood also affects the spread of the virus in the body cells. People having ‘Type O’ blood have a protective effect as compared to the people having ‘Type A’ blood. ‘Obesity’ to is one of the factors influencing the spread of coronavirus. However, these are just statements by the researchers and there is no substantial evidence to confirm the same. Various researches are carried out extensively to understand the prime factors responsible for coronavirus.
‘Age’ is also a factor that was highly affected the intensity of the virus in the human body; it was observed that people above the age of 60 are at higher risk of getting coronavirus.
A robust immune response can fight the virus when your body asks for help against the infection caused by the virus. The immune response of the body can be high or low, the body should have the ability to develop the right amount of immunity at the right time to control the virus. An inappropriate immune response can lead to a reverse reaction that may end up attacking your body instead of the virus.
Worldwide, it is seen that around 80% of the people heal without any complications however, 1 out of every 6 people having coronavirus can become seriously ill which may lead to death. The condition of the person worsens if the virus in the body worsens, causing pneumonia or other infections that become difficult to cure.
As of now, there’s no substantial proof to back up the main reason of why COVID-19 affect people differently, however, following the basic hygiene practices, eating healthy food and keeping your body fit and fine, will help your body fight and kill the COVID-19 infections.
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COVID-19: Stages and Treatment | Orange County Covid Clinic
COVID-19: Stages and Treatment
COVID-19 can be cured at home if necessary restrictions and guidelines are followed. It depends on the extent the disease has spread in one’s body that influences the decision of whether one should self-quarantine at home or get admitted to a hospital. If you feel that your body is showing severe corona-virus symptoms such as regular coughing episodes leading to shortness of breath, muscle aches and tiredness, it is necessary to get admitted in the hospital as doctors in the hospital will provide you necessary advanced treatment and facilities that can’t be acquired at home.
If your condition is serious, the doctors will want to run a few tests to understand the extent of the spread of the virus in the body. Initially, the possible things that doctors in the hospital will do are:
- The level of oxygen in your blood will be checked with a clip-on finger monitor
- Chest X-ray or CT scan
- COVID-19 test which involves putting a cotton swab at the far-end of your throat and both sides of the nose.
If your condition seems to deteriorate, you may be provided with extra oxygen through your nostrils via tubes. The doctors keep a keen watch on your breathing pattern and monitor the spread of the virus in the lungs, to heal them, and make them capable enough to produce oxygen again on their own. Patients having severe COVID-19 infections are thoroughly monitored by doctors and are given proper anti-viral medications for the same. Doctors may also advise you to keep a check on your respiratory hygiene practices or guide you to follow special quarantine guidelines to reduce the virus and curb its spread.
Coronavirus can actually be characterized into various stages based on the severity of the symptoms and the condition of the patient. Accordingly, doctors in hospitals provide appropriate individualized treatment based on the patient’s condition. These stages are precisely characterized by the type of biological contact of the people with the virus.
The initial phase is when the person has a slight infection and shows mild symptoms like cold or flu. It is during this stage that the virus multiplies rapidly in the infected person’s body. In this early stage, doctors may suggest you undergo ‘Convalescent plasma treatment’ i.e. plasma from the already recovered patients is transferred to the patients to reduce the viral infection, thus speeding the recovery.
The next stage is when the virus has attacked the immune system thus disabling its efficient functioning. This phase also called the pulmonary phase results in the formation of blood clots and respiratory conditions like shortness of breath, intense coughing feats, etc. At the stage, doctors suggest the use of tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), which helps in the breaking of blood clots.
Next stage i.e. the hyperinflammatory phase is when increased virus in the immune-system starts causing injuries to the kidney and heart. This is a risky stage and can be fatal. During this time, doctors suggest anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroids or tocilizumab. To prevent blood clots in the blood vessels and capillaries, an anti-clotting drug ‘Herpin’ is used in all the stages.
Due to these stages, doctors believe in giving personalized treatments to the patients depending on their situation. Although these are the various treatments that the doctors suggest to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the body, there is no cure to this novel coronavirus disease yet. Doctors in hospitals, all over the globe are trying their best to provide patients with the best possible treatment to reduce the causalities.
