What Is a Coronavirus Antibody Test—and Why Testing Matter

Everybody wants to know when stay-at-home orders will be lifted, but experts agree that’s unlikely to happen until widespread antibody testing has been carried out. While a nasal swab test can detect existing infection, a blood test can determine if a person has been exposed to the new coronavirus. Known as an antibody test or serology test, this may identify those who have recovered from infection and, potentially, have developed some degree of protection from reinfection (by demonstrating an "immune response" to the virus).

Whether you have the virus or not, this development in the fight against COVID-19 affects everybody—wide-scale antibody testing may be key to getting those stay-at-home orders lifted. 

What Is Antibody Testing?

Antibodies are human proteins produced by the body to fight infection. “During an infection, the immune system custom-designs antibodies to recognize a specific part of the virus,” Craig Wilen, MD, an assistant professor in laboratory medicine and immunobiology at Yale University, tells Health.

In the case of the new coronavirus, the most important antibodies target the viral spike protein, which is the protein that binds to the human cell receptor and allows the genetic material of the virus to enter human cells and begin infection. “There are two types of virus-specific antibodies that are relevant for testing,” Dr. Wilen says. “The first is called immunoglobulin M (IgM). This antibody is made earlier in the period of infection and then goes away. The second is called immunoglobulin G (IgG), which is made after IgM, but lasts much longer.”

While there is some variability in timing between people, IgM lasts for weeks to months and is detectable after a week or two, whereas IgG lasts for decades and is detectable days to about one week after IgM. By detecting the different antibodies in a person’s blood, doctors are able to “date” when they had—or still have—the infection.

If My Test Comes Back Positive, Am I Immune?
Unfortunately, scientists don’t yet know whether a positive test means you’re immune or how long such protection may last. “There have been reports of patients getting re-infected with the new coronavirus,” Dr. Wilen says. “It is also known that for many seasonal coronaviruses which cause the common cold, the antibodies go away over time which enables people to get re-infected.”

The World Health Organization addressed this issue at a news briefing in Geneva on April 13. 

"One would expect that a person who generates a full-blown immune response with detectable antibodies should have protection for a period of time," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies programs, said, per NPR. "We just don't know what that period of time is. We would expect that to be a reasonable period of protection, but it is very difficult to say that with a new virus."

Dr. Wilen suspects that even if the new coronavirus antibodies went away, that past infection would confer a survival advantage to future re-infection. “This is a general principle of the adaptive immune system,” he explains.

Is Testing Available—and What Does It Involve?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first test in the US for detecting coronavirus antibodies, and many companies are developing other tests.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already started carrying out its own antibody testing to help determine how many people have been infected with the virus, including those who never displayed any symptoms, reported Politico. On April 10, the National Institutes of Health announced that it would test 10,000 healthy volunteers from around the country for the presence of antibodies. People can participate in at-home blood sampling using a kit and mail the sample to the NIH lab for analysis.

Typically, the test involves taking blood from the arm or using the finger stick method, in which the finger is pricked with a lancet to obtain a small quantity of capillary blood. “The amount of blood needed depends on the specific test method,” Dr. Wilen says. Either way, it should be quick and simple.

How Reliable Are Antibody Test Results?

In other parts of the world, some governments have expressed concern that antibody tests are not proving to be as reliable as the swab tests that look for current infection. On April 8, the UK government announced that antibody tests won’t be available until at least May because none of the tests tried so far had been accurate enough.

It’s crucial that the coronavirus antibody testing process isn’t rushed, Gary W. Procop, MD, the chair of American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Commission on Science, Technology and Policy, and vice chair and director of virology at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. If the tests aren’t sensitive or specific enough, it could result in false positives, which suggest a person has immunity who doesn’t, and false negatives, which fail to detect immunity.

“Both of these are dangerous and hamper the efforts to get Americans safely back to work,” Dr. Procop says. “We need to follow the lead of our colleagues in the UK and not implement tests that have not been thoroughly vetted and may do more harm than good.”

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Could COVID-19 Become a New Seasonal Illness Like the Flu?

A novel observation has led researchers to allow the possibility that the Novel Coronavirus may become a new seasonal illness like the flu and other respiratory infections. This is because of the medical trends observed in the Southern Hemisphere, where COVID-19 has been on the rise as countries like Australia are nearing cold weather. In the Southern Hemisphere, winter typically begins at around the end of June, and the temperatures have already started to drop.

If this is indeed the case, we should also start observing a decline in new Coronavirus cases towards the end of spring. Unfortunately, this also means that the virus may return to the Northern Hemisphere once again next winter. What does this mean for the people and the healthcare system in the short and long term? We discuss this in detail below.

How Could the Coronavirus Become Seasonal?

More and more independent researchers are considering that the virus causing COVID-19 may ultimately become seasonal. Dr. William Schaffner, an expert in infectious diseases, revealed the following in a statement to Healthline, “We think this coronavirus will likely become more prominent during winter in the Southern Hemisphere… and cycle back to the Northern Hemisphere in the next winter season. We’ll be dealing then with influenza, other respiratory viruses, and the coronavirus.”

The question is: Is this even possible? Could a new virus just show up and become a new seasonal burden we have to fight? The answer is, tragically, ‘yes’, and historians believe this has happened before with a more familiar virus - influenza. The first recordings of the flu date back to 1580.

Compared to other infectious diseases like syphilis, tuberculosis, and malaria, which have all been found in Ancient Egyptian mummies and date back millennia, the four centuries influenza has been around are nothing. The first cases of the influenza virus have been recorded in Asia, and the outbreak spread all across Europe, North Africa, and even the Americas at this time. Although we don’t know the exact number of casualties, this first influenza virus reportedly killed 8,000 people in Rome alone.

As the virus spread, it became a seasonal recurrence and a bane that we still have to fight every winter, with the virus constantly evolving. Some years, it is mild, and in others, it’s particularly devastating, like it was with the Spanish Flu in 1918 or the H1N1 outbreak of 2009. Thus, it is certainly possible that the Novel Coronavirus may become the new, worse version of the flu existing alongside it.

If the Coronavirus Becomes Seasonal, What Shall We Do?

Should the Novel Coronavirus turn into a new seasonal infection, we all have to be prepared this time. One of the first and foremost goals of the healthcare systems in the Northern Hemisphere is the development of a vaccine and other treatments for the virus, both of which are already in development in several labs across the globe. Ideally, we would have a vaccine for the next seasonal outbreak, which would be capable of reducing the severity and spread of SARS-CoV-2.

This will only work, though, if the virus doesn’t start mutating rapidly, and the strains prominent the next season will not be too different. Mutation is one of the major concerns right now, as the Novel Coronavirus is an RNA virus, which means that it doesn’t have DNA, and is, hence, less stable and could mutate more quickly much like the flu - another RNA virus. The good news is that, so far, researchers haven’t observed particularly rapid mutations of the virus, with 800 different strains of SARS-CoV-2 being sequenced across the globe.

One positive aspect of the possible seasonality of the virus is that many countries would then have time to recuperate and recover from the virus during the warm months. If that is the case, the number of new cases should start dropping in the Northern Hemisphere shortly. Unfortunately, researchers aren’t sure how long this break will last.

What About the Southern Hemisphere?

Researchers say that the Southern Hemisphere should prepare for the worst as it gets closer to winter. Luckily, since these countries will be affected much later than Asia, Europe, and North America, they will have a lot more information about the virus and ways to contain it than those in the Northern Hemisphere. Taking advantage of this abundance of information available both for medical professionals, governmental structures and the public is key.

In Australia, we are already observing a tightening of mass gathering laws and a countrywide stay home order, though people are still allowed to go to work. No public gatherings of more than two people are allowed since the end of March, which seems to have curbed the number of new cases compared to a rapid increase that was observed in mid and late March already (see chart below).
According to Worldometer, there are currently 5,895 recorded Coronavirus cases in Australia, of which there are 46 fatalities (approximately 2% of patients).

COVID-19 Seasonal Australia

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you should start engaging in practices that are known to work, such as social distancing. It's also crucial to abide by personal hygiene and cleaning rules, such as the disinfection of surfaces in your home, vehicle, smartphone, and hand washing.

Another important thing you can do is get your flu shot early this year, since reducing your chance of getting the flu, or getting both the flu and COVID-19, is crucial for your health and the workload of medical facilities in your area.

Time will tell whether or not the predictions are true and SARS-Cov-2 will indeed become a new seasonal respiratory infection, but meanwhile, we would like to urge you to exercise caution and abide by local medical regulations regarding the virus, no matter where you live.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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The Most Common Causes & Solutions For hand Swelling

Many of us have experienced the uncomfortable sensation of swollen hands, which can occur suddenly without warning. This nuisance may only last for a few minutes on many occasions, but on others, it can persist for much longer. But is there a reason to panic?

 

In most cases, the answer is NO. What's happening in our palms, hands and fingers reflects what is happening both inside and outside our bodies. These factors are rarely a cause for concern. However, in those few cases where there is a problem, it’s good to be able to identify it and understand whether it’s treatable at home, or if it’s time to see a doctor.

 

1. Carpal tunnel syndrome
2. Excess sodium
3. Swollen hands during exercise
4. Seasonal swelling
5.Lymphedema
6.Osteoarthritis
7. Raynaud syndrome

8. Other possible causes

1. Carpal Tunnel Syndromw
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel and causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the part of the hand that receives sensation from the median nerve. This is a very common syndrome in both men and women of various ages and occurs mostly in people who engage in monotonous actions (such as office work).

If treated early on, the problem is easily remedied, but the longer it takes to diagnose and treat, the longer the healing process takes.

Home treatments require several actions:
• Icing – If you suspect that the source of the inflammation is from a repetitive action, ice your wrists twice a day for 15-20 minutes each time. Use an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel. Avoid placing the ice directly on your skin.
• Take breaks – If you keep bending your wrists and fingers repeatedly when doing computer work, sewing, or knitting, make sure you take a 5 to 10 minute break every hour and avoid straining your wrists during those breaks.

Carpal tunnel stretches – This simple exercise can help reduce the pain: touch your thumb to your pinky and then bend the 3 remaining fingers onto the “bridge” they formed. Use your other hand to push down those fingers, but don’t do it too hard. While holding the fingers down, try straightening them. You will feel the carpal tunnel getting stretched. Maintain this pose for 5 seconds and release. Perform this exercise five times a day.
• Massage – Apply hand or body lotion to your hand and use the opposite hand to gently apply pressure, while rubbing the lotion in. The massage will increase blood flow to the area and will reduce the pain. The massage should take about 5-10 minutes and be repeated twice a day.

In more severe cases, where the pain is persistent, contact your family doctor. They might recommend a steroid shot or another medical treatment.

2. Too much sodium Excess consumption of fried and salted foods may lead to swelling in the hands . The swelling appears along the fingers, from base to tip. The reason for this is that the body needs to maintain the sodium-water balance, so it compensates by retaining fluids in the hands and feet. The swelling usually goes away within a day, unless there is a lot of salt in your system. If this is a regular occurrence, try removing salt from your diet for a week and see if the issue persists.
3. Swollen Hands While Walking If you feel like your hands swell after you have been walking, then you’re not alone. This is a common phenomenon that happens as a result of changing weather conditions, body temperature changes, and an electrolyte imbalance . Electrolytes are minerals that the body needs and their levels relative to water must remain balanced to prevent tissue swelling. When we sweat – we lose electrolytes, which can cause our body to swell as a result.

Prevention:
• Remove anything that may put pressure on your fingers or arms before exercising. Avoid wearing rings, watches, and tight-sleeved shirts.
• Carry with you an item you can grab in your hands from time to time during the exercise, to encourage blood to flow to your palms. The point of this action is to improve circulation, so don’t grab the item too hard. You can use a small water bottle, a rubber ball, a cane, or any other cylindrical object that isn’t too heavy.

• Keep your arms loose by straightening your arms before you start your walk, and rotating them. Repeat a few times during the walk. Straighten your arms and, one hand at a time, do a full circle backward, with your palm facing out. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times for each hand. During your walk, stretch your hands up above your head for a few seconds from time to time.
• Keep your hands open when you walk and try to leave them as loose as possible. Bunch them into a fist from time to time for a few seconds, then open them up again, stretching the fingers as much as you can, and pretend you’re playing a piano for a few seconds.

• Hold your hands close to your torso and move them parallel to the body, without letting them meet. If your hands touch at chest height you’re moving your hands incorrectly.
• Make sure you drink a lot of water before you go on your walk. This will prevent an imbalance in your salts/liquid ratio that may lead to more swelling. To make sure you drink enough, weigh yourself after drinking, then once more after the exercise. If your weight decreases – you did not drink enough.

4. Seasonal swelling
This type of swelling occurs during the summer in both your hands and feet simultaneously, and can even cause swelling in your arms and legs. While this is an unpleasant occurrence, it's also temporary. Heat causes your blood vessels to swell, in order to cool our body faster. During these times, some fluids in your bloodstream may leak into the surrounding tissues, causing the swelling. This is normal and the swelling will subside on its own. If the swelling is accompanied by pain, contact your doctor.
5. Lymphedema Lymphatic edema occurs when localized fluid retention and tissue swelling is caused by a compromised lymphatic system, which normally returns interstitial fluid to the thoracic duct and then the bloodstream. The swelling can spread to your arms and legs, and the skin will often feel taut or thicker than usual. Lymphedema may appear after a surgical procedure, or in rare cases from lymphoma. The first few times, the symptoms will disappear on their own but do not neglect this, otherwise, it will become a chronic condition.
Treatment options:
• Rest – When the symptoms first manifest and the skin is still soft, make it a priority to allow the hand to rest and remain as elevated as possible. This is done to reduce pressure on your lymphatic system and prevent fluid retention
 • Compression bandaging – Contact your doctor to get a pressure bandage. This will prevent the edema from spreading.
• Combined physical therapy – This treatment includes localized massages, and recommendations for physical exercise that will work the muscles in the affected area, which will help fluid drainage. Therapy will also include guidelines for maintaining hygiene in the area and prevention of infections.
6. Osteoarthritis
Swollen knuckles and the joints in your fingers can be the result of osteoarthritis. This usually occurs as a result of damaged cartilage, growth of bone “spikes” in the joints, which will usually be accompanied by repeating inflammations, swelling, burning sensation in the fingers, pain, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis may appear due to age-related processes, or after trauma to the cartilage (due to disease or other causes).

At this time, there are no treatments to heal the inflammation, that is why early diagnosis is very important if you wish to keep your joints in a good condition, and be pain-free. If you notice symptoms similar to those mentioned above, ask your doctor for an X-ray of your hands. If the problem is the result of damage to the cartilage, it will be visible in the X-ray and the state of the inflammation can be determined.
In later stages, painkillers will be administered either via pills or through localized injections, along with personalized physical therapy. If the pain persists, consider acupuncture, as it has been shown to help some osteoarthritis patients.

7. Raynaud syndrome
This is a disease that causes swelling in the hands due to a malfunction in the part of the brain that is in charge of your blood vessels, causing them to constrict in cold temperatures or when under mental stress. In the case of cold temperatures, people with Raynaud’s suffer from reduced blood flow to their extremities.
The sensation of swelling first appears in one finger, and slowly spreads to the rest. Other symptoms include a sensation of cold in the extremities, as well as discoloration and a tingling sensation in the fingers and toes.

Treatment is divided into several stages: • Avoiding external causes – Avoid cold temperatures and maintain a high, stable body temperature by wearing warm clothes and gloves during the cold season.
• Avoiding chemicals that affect the blood vessels – Smoking, excessive consumption of caffeine, and medication that affects the blood vessels should be avoided.
• Avoiding strain on the hands – Try and avoid any monotonous and repetitive actions in your hands, such as typing, or working with tools that cause strain in the hands.
• Regular physical exercise – This will improve your overall blood flow.
• Counseling – This will reduce mental stress, which affects the nervous system, which also controls the constriction of blood vessels.

Other Possible Causes of Palm Swelling If you've got swollen hands, there's quite a good chance that it is being caused by one of the above conditions. However, there are unfortunately quite a number of health issues that can cause swollen hands, so if the swelling does not seem to fit in with any of the above conditions, you might want to watch out for these triggers of palm swelling too, especially if other symptoms are also present:
• Cellulitis- a bacterial skin infection which causes tender, red skin to become swollen and warm.
• Insect stings - can be accompanied by redness, itching, and swelling.
• Insect bites - common symptoms include pain, itching, swelling, bumps, and redness.
• Oak, poison ivy or sumac - a toxin found in these plants causes an itchy, allergic rash, complete with welts and blisters.
• Multiple sclerosis - apart from hand swelling, MS is known to cause problems with movement, speech, and balance.
• Angioedema- swelling that occurs under the skin, and can also break out around the lips and eyes.
• Scleroderma- a rare immune disorder that causes collagen to accumulate and harden in the tissue.
• Brachial plexus nerve injury - can cause swelling, numbness and tingling in the neck, shoulders, and hands.
• Peripheral neuropathy - a nerve condition of the extremities that can induce pain, numbness and tingling sensations.
• Tenditinis- pain in the muscles or tendons, commonly accompanied by stiffness or swelling.
• Osteomyelitis- a bone infection that can cause pain, swelling, and redness.
• Cervical (neck)spinal stenosis - a spinal condition that typically causes weakness, pain, swelling or numbness in the neck, arms or legs.
• Dupuytren's contracture- a hand tissue condition that could cause the fingers to swell and curl.
• Lupus- a chronic autoimmune disease, typified by rashes, swollen joints, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Water retention - when too much moisture builds up in your body, your limbs may begin to swell up.
• Gout- a buildup of uric acid in the joints, causing fever, joint pain, as well as red and swollen joints.
•Pseudogout- a form of arthritis that resembles gout, causing pain and swelling.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

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6 Surprising Seasonal Allergy Triggers

If you thought making it through spring allergy season would mean you’re in the clear for the year, we’ll give you the bad news first: Relief may not be coming anytime soon. “The pollen season actually peaks around Memorial Day and runs into early summer,” says a immunologist.

Now, the good news: Preventing a summer allergy attack is as easy as understanding the triggers that are unique to the sunny season. Here are six surprising summer triggers—and how to breathe easier.

Trigger: Snacking at the farmer’s market
People with strong grass or ragweed allergies may suffer from oral allergy syndrome, which happens when your body’s immune system mistakes proteins in certain fruits with the allergy-causing grass, tree, or weed pollens. Common culprits include apples, peaches, pears, and melons. Munch with caution, and stop if your lips start to tingle or your throat gets scratchy.

Trigger: Watching baseball
“Though many people think of mold as only an indoor problem, dust and dirt from sports fields may actually contain high levels of spores,” says Dr.  No need to skip ball games entirely; if you’re prone to allergies, visit an allergist to get your symptoms under control before you play ball.

Trigger: Swimming
“Dramatic changes in temperature, such as jumping into a cold lake on a hot day, can trigger asthma,” says Dr.  Instead of making yourself into a human cannonball, gradually ease into the water to allow your lungs time to adjust. Also be wary of the strong chlorine smell from pools that can be a respiratory irritant.

Trigger: Making s’mores
Who doesn't love a good bonfire? But research shows that exposing yourself to smoke can cause changes to your body’s immune cells that can make you react more strongly to allergens. Be sure to stay downwind at your next cook-out, and use an extra-long stick when toasting marshmallows.

Trigger: Going outside to play
Most of us grew up hearing, “It’s a beautiful day out, go outside and play!” But those hot and humid days can actually trap pollutants such as pollen or diesel exhaust closer to the ground where you breathe—adding up to allergy misery. Before you head outside, check the air quality in your area by logging onto AirNow, and stay inside on days labelled “unhealthy.”

Trigger: Picnicking in the park
Repeated exposure to insect stings and bites can up your odds of having a bad allergic reaction. “The most common reactions come from those yellow jackets that fly around your picnic basket,” says Dr. Sublett. Bees are attracted to bright colors, so try wearing something muted to your summer picnics and skip the perfume to minimize your chances of getting bitten.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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