The Vaccination Effect on Covid-like Viruses: How Do You Get There? Dr. Chin-Hong, Céline Gounder, and Stuart Ray
If you go to a crowded bar on a Friday night and don’t have any symptoms by Monday, it’s unlikely you have the Viruses, says Dr. Chin-Hong. If you still don’t have symptoms by Wednesday, you’re probably in the clear, he said, although you should take a test to confirm.
However, it is still possible to have an asymptomatic case of Covid — and as more people build up immunity to the virus through vaccination and prior infection, asymptomatic, or very mild, cases will be more common, said Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and senior fellow and editor at large for public health at Kaiser Health News. She said that even if you do not have symptoms, you can still spread the virus, so it is important to test right away.
If you do feel sick, stay home — even if you’re negative on a rapid test. “Anyone who isn’t feeling well should stay home,” Dr. Ratner said, “because the tests aren’t perfect.”
An at- home rapid test is the most accurate tool to determine whether or not you’re infectious before an event, because experts differing on timing and combination of tests doesn’t mean you should take them all at once. Stuart Ray said that you can have a testing party where you can see your mom if you get a negative test. You should also take a rapid test the day before, he advised.
The Coronavirus Test omicron vaccine Wen Wellness: Dr. Leana Wen at the GUM School of Public Health
Covid-19 cases were first seen in the United States over three years ago. And while President Joe Biden announced last week that he intends to end the state of national emergency around Covid-19, this does not mean the pandemic is over.
Many questions remain about this coronaviruses, especially as the virus continues to evolve and affect people on a large scale. There were more than 280,000 new coronavirus cases diagnosed in the last week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is almost certainly an undercount, given the many home tests not included as part of the official tally.
If it comes back positive, that means that you had Covid-19. It does not tell you when. If you wanted to find out if a recent bout of symptoms was caused by the coronaviruses, this test wouldn’t help. And remember, having had Covid-19 in the past doesn’t mean that you can’t get sick from it again.
To find out more about these questions and how they were answered, I spoke with Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is the author of “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/health/coronavirus-test-omicron-vaccine-wen-wellness/index.html
The CDC recommends avoiding public exposure if you are a candidate for Covid-19, or an infection that is not necessarily from a viral illness
There are several possibilities of which Dr. Leana is aware. First, Covid-19 can present like other viral illnesses. Common symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, headache or body aches, a sore throat and diarrhea. These are some of the symptoms that can be seen with viral illnesses. It’s possible you may have symptoms you’re identifying as evidence of a Covid-19 infection that are actually due to another virus.
The CDC says that if you were exposed to someone with Covid-19 you should wait at least five days after exposure to get tested. Either an antigen test or a PCR test could be used at this point. The CDC recommends that you wear a mask in public for at least 10 days, even if you do not develop symptoms after five days. You should also monitor your symptoms; if you develop any, even after five days following a potential exposure, you should get tested again.
I would recommend taking a second rapid test the next day. The first time around, you might not have had a high viral load. The guidance was provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
If all these tests are negative, you should stay in public wearing a mask until 10 days after exposure if you have a different viral illness. Also, be careful around vulnerable individuals while you are symptomatic, even if it’s not from Covid-19. For example, if you are planning to host a dinner party with an immunocompromised guest or if you are visiting an elderly aunt, you should wait until your symptoms are gone and your 10-day quark period has ended.
It depends. Testing is not likely to be required if you are a generally healthy person. You should drink lots of fluids and take over-the-counter pain killers like aspirin as a way to get some relief from chronic pain.
If you have medical conditions that affect your health, you might be worried about the flu. There are antiviral treatments available, and you should consider speaking with your doctor about flu testing and if you are eligible for them.
There are commercial laboratories that can provide you with a blood test to check for the SARS-CoV-2 genes. This looks at prior infections.