Hey y’all! Welcome back for another coronavirus update. I hope y’all are hanging in there and keeping your sanity. Lord knows I’m trying too. Today’s blog is going to be specifically targeted towards testing. We all know that testing for Covid-19 is very hard to come by, despite what Mr. POTUS says. I will say we have made some progress but I think there’s more to be made. We currently have two types of testing out for the coronavirus: molecular and serological (a.k.a. antibody). I’m going to briefly talk a little bit about the molecular testing, however, antibody testing is what I’m going to focus on.
The molecular test was the first type of test for the coronavirus, which was used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most recent test, by Abbott Laboratories, allows you to get test results with in about 5 minutes. I think this is why we’re seeing growth in the number of cases, because we are able to test faster and more efficiently. For a molecular test, they usually take a long 6-inch swab and insert it into your nostril and swab it for around 15 seconds. Now, I know this is very painful. If you’ve ever had a flu test done, then you will recognize this pain. Trust me, I’ve experienced this before and it is not fun. Molecular testing is usually used to detect the presence of viral genome. Since this test detects viral genetic material, a positive test indicates an active Covid-19 infection.
The other testing that is available is serological testing or antibody testing, which looks for antibodies in the bloodstream. People who were infected and recovered from the coronavirus, should have their antibodies circulating in the blood. This testing will even be able to be tested on people were asymptomatic, which is extremely important in detecting who has been exposed to the virus by people who are spreading it asymptomatically. This testing simply involves a finger prick to take a sample of your blood and you should typically get result back within 10 to 15 minutes. When you’re exposed to the virus, your body develops antibodies and they can take several days to over a week to appear.
When your body is exposed to the coronavirus for the first time, it can take up to almost two weeks for your immune system to make enough antibodies to fight off infection. The initial response consist of mostly of IgM antibodies. A couple weeks later after the immediate infection has surpassed, the body creates IgG antibodies. This will leave small amounts of both IgM and IgG antibodies circulating in the blood. Once the body is exposed to Covid-19 again, it will respond faster and stronger, to provide primarily IgG antibodies.
Just to make things clearer if you didn’t get all that, IgM antibodies indicate a recent and/or current exposure, both IgM and IgG antibodies make mean that you’ve had the current infection for a while, and only IgG antibodies mean that you have had a secondary infection.
I think this is really cool that we we’re able to develop this type of testing. I also think that serological testing will be successful and be the next big chance we have in containing this virus.
Kalayah's Krazy Microbes 