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Testing, Testing …

Testing, Testing …

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Testing, Testing …

Finding out if you have Covid-19

If you have not been vaccinated for Covid-19 and are experiencing symptoms of the virus, have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, or have been in situations in which you were not able to physically distance from others, your next step should be contacting your healthcare provider to discuss testing options and quarantining while awaiting the results.

If you have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and have no symptoms, you do not need to be tested following an exposure to someone with Covid-19. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks following a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms ranging from mild to severe may appear 2 to 14 days following exposure to the virus. You may have been exposed to the virus if you traveled recently, attended any gatherings, dinners or other events, or were in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor settings for at least 15 minutes.

Among the reported symptoms of the Covid-19 are: a cough, a sore throat, fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, a headache, a new loss of taste or smell, congestions or a runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Types of Testing
Available testing includes a viral test and an antibody test. Testing results can take a few hours to several days, depending upon the type of test and the location of the testing site.

If you cannot be tested by your healthcare provider, ask your provider about an at-home testing option.

Viral Test
A provider swabs the inside of your nose, so a mucus sample can be tested for the virus that causes Covid-19. A viral test indicates whether you have a current infection.

If your test is negative, you most likely did not have Covid-19 when the test was administered, or the sample was taken too early in your infection. The negative result does not give you a total clean bill of health, and you still need to protect yourself and others from the virus. You may have been exposed after the test was given, and you can still get sick. You may need to have another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes Covid-19.

If you test positive for Covid-19, you will need to isolate to prevent others from getting sick. Stay home and recover. Be sure to inform your provider if any of your symptoms worsen or if you develop any new symptoms.

Your provider will guide your recovery and inform you when it’s safe enough for you to stop isolating. In general, if it has been at least ten days since you first became sick, if your symptoms are improving steadily, and if you have had no fever in the last 24 hours (without the help of any medication), you may get the OK to stop isolating. Most likely you will not be retested.

If you have a compromised immune system or other underlying condition or if you have a more severe case of Covid-19, your provider may recommend a longer period of isolation and recovery.

Antibody Test
Antibody testing is also known as serology testing. A provider takes a blood sample to check for antibodies, which may show whether you have had a past infection with the virus that causes Covid-19.

Antibodies — proteins your immune system produces in response to an infection — help fight off infections and may provide immunity, which is protection against getting the disease again.

It can take up to three weeks to develop sufficient antibodies to be seen in an antibody test. Antibodies may be detected in your blood for more than several months after you recover from Covid-19.

An antibody test cannot determine whether you have Covid-19 currently.

You may be tested for antibodies if you have had symptoms of Covid-19 but have not been tested before or if you would like to donate plasma.

A negative test indicated that you have no antibodies, and most likely were not infected with the Covid-19 virus in the past (unless sufficient time has not yet passed for antibodies to be detected).

If you test positive for antibodies, you have had a past infection with the virus, even if you have never experiences any symptoms.

The extent and duration of antibody protection against Covid-19 are unknown at this time. Rare cases of reinfection have been reported.

Continue Safe Practices
No matter which testing your provider advises you to have, what your testing results are or how well and quickly you recover should you become ill, in the interest of everyone’s health and well-being, you still will need to continue to take precautions. Wear a face mask when other people are around, wash your hands frequently, avoid indoor gatherings and keep at least six feet from others.

Shots of Hope

Shots of Hope

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Shots of Hope

Promising safe and effective Covid-19 Vaccines

On December 11, 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for the prevention of Covid-19. Rollout began with the first vaccine given on December 14 to a critical care nurse in the intensive care unit at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, NY.

Pfizer said its shots are 95-percent effective against the disease.

The FDA approved emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 vaccine from Moderna on December 18. Moderna claims 94.5-percent effectiveness.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine require two shots. Doses are given approximately three weeks’ apart for Pfizer and approximately four weeks’ apart for Moderna.

On April 13, the FDA and CDC recommended a pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine use while scientists investigate possible links between the vaccine and six cases of blood clots in women ages 18 to 48. Visit fda.gov and cdc.gov for further updates or changes.

The FDA has stated that it has rigorous scientific and regulatory processes in place to facilitate development and ensure the safety, effectiveness and quality of Covid-19 vaccines.

Vaccination Rollout and Expansion
First in line in the U.S. to receive the shots were healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. Healthcare personnel included those working in healthcare settings with potential exposure to patients or infectious materials. Long-term care facility residents are defined as adults unable to live independently who are residing in facilities where services include medical and personal care.

Next came frontline essential workers — such as firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, postal workers, grocery clerks, public transportation workers, food and agricultural workers and those working in education — followed by people 75 years and older, those 65 to 74 years of age, people 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, and other essential workers.

Vaccine rollout continues to expand, and multiple states are opening vaccination to include additional age-groups.

From President Joseph R. Biden’s Inauguration Day on January 20,2021, through April 5, 150 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been given. On April 6, President Biden announced that by April 19, all adults 18 years of age and older in every state will be eligible for vaccination.

Side Effects
The most commonly reported side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine include injection site pain, fatigue, a headache, muscle ache, joint pain, fever and chills. More people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose.

Why Vaccinate?
As of mid-April, there have been more than 566,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the U.S., with an uptick in Covid-19 cases in multiple states. Medical experts warn that surges could increase — as people travel, socialize more and ignore health recommendations and guidelines.

In addition to wearing a mask, social distancing and taking other precautions against the spread of the virus, vaccination may be your best hope.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Covid-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting Covid-19. If you do get Covid-19, vaccination may help prevent you from becoming seriously ill. Getting the vaccine may protect those around you who are at risk for severe illness from the disease, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Seniors account for 80 percent of the deaths from Covid-19.

Covid-19 vaccination will protect you as well by creating an antibody response without your heaving to experience the actual disease. If you get the disease without being vaccinated, it is unknown how long any immunity you receive from having gotten the disease will last. The risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity.

Getting the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available to you is the right step toward helping to protect entire communities and stop the pandemic.

After Vaccination
Once you have been vaccinated, the CDC advises continuing to follow Covid-19 safety guidelines and recommendations, such as mask wearing, social distancing and washing your hands.

You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks following the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, and two weeks after the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Covid-19 vaccine.

According to the CDC, once you are fully vaccinated, you can visit others who are fully vaccinated at their home without wearing a mask. In addition, you can travel in the U.S. without a travel test and without quarantining after travel, and travel internationally without a travel test (depending on the destination) and without quarantining after travel. You should not visit the home of anyone at risk for severe illness from Covid-19 without wearing a mask, and you should continue to avoid medium or large gatherings.

For more information and for Covid-19 vaccine developments and updates, visit the FDA and CDC websites (fda.gov and cdc.gov).

The New Medicine

The New Medicine

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The New Medicine

Healthcare provider visits in the Age of Covid-19

At a time when you may be hesitant to schedule an in-person medical visit due to Covid-19 surges and variants, being able to see your healthcare provider virtually from the safety of your own home, office, car or other space may be a good option.

Telemedicine uses technology for your healthcare provider visits, allowing you to practice social distancing. You, your provider and any other people you would normally have encountered in your provider’s office — including any medical or office personnel, other patients, and anyone you would have met in transit to and from your provider location — are protected from Covid-19.

When coming into contact with other people is decreased, you may be able to reduce the risks from Covid-19 and keep yourself, along with your family, healthy.

Technological options include using your smart phone, computer or any other forms of telecommunications technology — basically using any web browser access to the Internet — to allow you to check in with your provider, see and speak to each other and address your specific healthcare issues.

You can talk to your provider and/or use messaging while saving on travel time, waiting time and transportation expenses.

Knowing Whether Telemedicine Is the Right Fit for You
Depending on the state of your health — and the nature of your particular visit or condition — telemedicine may be appropriate for you.

Among the services you can receive are general and routine healthcare, medication management, help with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, allergies, asthma and arthritis, coughs and colds, nutrition counseling and prescriptions.

Your provider may be able to virtually see conditions such as rashes, conjunctivitis, inflammation, wounds, bruises and cuts — or may ask for an in-person visit.

When In-Person Provider Visits Are Necessary
Your provider may need to see you in person for neurological or cardiological symptoms or a dental emergency. For chest pain, signs of a stroke or a heart attack, shortness of breath, head or neck injuries, or any other emergency, you will need to go to an emergency department without delay.

A Matter of Convenience
Telemedicine can be a major convenience if you are on vacation, on a business trip, traveling unavoidably, outside of business hours, or at home with a sick child or other family member.

With the benefits offered by virtual healthcare visits, some patients who may not have bothered to contact a provider and show up for a scheduled in-person appointment previously, might actually consult with their provider now and benefit from an important, life-changing diagnosis — simply because it is convenient.

the-new-medicine
The New Medicine

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