Hello and welcome to Day 4 of COVID 301—your daily dose of facts and guidance on the NOW and “now WHAT?” of #COVID19. Today we are learning about massive and widespread testing. 1/18
Currently there are two main types of tests: 1. The NASAL swab for the presence of ACTIVE virus. The goal is to help diagnose a patient currently sick with #Covid_19 or
a symptom-free person as a carrier of the virus. 2/18
a symptom-free person as a carrier of the virus. 2/18
The @US_FDA approved a SALIVA version of this test this week, and it may help reduce risk to the test administrator. nytimes.com/aponline/2020/… 3/18
2. The BLOOD test for PAST INFECTION looks for antibodies in a patient who WAS sick at least 2-3 weeks prior. Goal: determine if patient is potentially immune to the virus/able to move freely without risk to others/able to donate their antibody-rich plasma to help others. 4/18
Right now most of us are dazed and confused. Is this cough due to allergies or am I actually sick? Should I stay in my room? Can I go to the grocery? What day is it anyway?
In an ideal world, BOTH TESTS would be widely available/100% accurate/safe/free for everyone. 5/18
In an ideal world, BOTH TESTS would be widely available/100% accurate/safe/free for everyone. 5/18
In that utopian world, we could readily know who is sick NOW, who was sick THEN, and HOW TO BEHAVE as a result. Good news: testing is becoming more widely available, increasingly accurate, and more accessible with every passing week. 6/18
But, just like with everything, there are some catches.
What are the limitations of the various tests? 1. None of them are fully reliable. They are not 100% sensitive or 100% specific; we see false positives and false negatives. 7/18
What are the limitations of the various tests? 1. None of them are fully reliable. They are not 100% sensitive or 100% specific; we see false positives and false negatives. 7/18
2. The nasal swab poses potential safety risks to the administrator—I mean who doesn’t sneeze and cough when probed up the nose with a metal rod? 8/18
3. Because the @US_FDA approved development of antibody testing kits in an emergency situation (see definition of EUA from last week), not all companies making these tests are “good guys”—some are making fraudulent tests. 9/18
4. #coronavirus is a “novel” virus—meaning the human body has never seen it before—determining the MEANING of a positive antibody test is even more challenging. I.e. If you are positive, can you never get coronavirus again? Can you safely venture out to buy toilet paper? 10/18
How could testing work with contact tracing to re-open the economy and allow us to reclaim our lives? The short story is that we need to throw the kitchen sink at this beast. 11/18
Since no #coronavirus test is perfect, contact tracing can infringe upon our privacy/freedoms, a vaccine will take a while, and drugs are not a one-pill-fits-all, we need to do ALL OF IT with FACTS/SCIENCE/SMART PEOPLE (without political or financial agendas) leading us. 12/18
MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL IMPLICATIONS of the above: I remember my family’s road trips to visit grandparents in West Virginia in the 1980s. After hours of staring out the window, and exchanging elbow-to-rib blows, my brothers and I would groan, “Are we there yet?” 13/18
Well, to quote my brilliant father, a man whose wise words echo in my head EACH AND EVERY DAY of quarantine: “Almost.” Such hope! Such promise! And such AMBIGUITY!
Well folks, this is where we are: somewhere between where we started and where we are going. 14/18
Well folks, this is where we are: somewhere between where we started and where we are going. 14/18
My advice? Live in the present, because there’s no time like it.
To quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” But how? 15/18
To quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” But how? 15/18
1. Validate your feelings of worry about the future. It’s normal. You are human, and we’re in a pandemic for crying out loud!
2. Forgive yourself for what you didn’t accomplish yesterday. And today. (And throw in tomorrow while you’re at it.) 16/18
2. Forgive yourself for what you didn’t accomplish yesterday. And today. (And throw in tomorrow while you’re at it.) 16/18
3. Phone a friend, laugh with family, listen to music, snuggle your pet, step outside, and imagine yourself up high in the trees. 4. Pick up a book, try a new recipe, and strum on the guitar that’s been kicking around your attic for years. 17/18
The point is: draw your attention to the present moment, soak in the sounds, sights, and smells of your surroundings. It is healthy to be present and calm. And enjoy the (long) ride when you can. 18/18
