“So, why haven’t scientists come up with a vaccine yet?”
“Can’t the doctors just prescribe me an antibiotic?” “What do you mean you’re not studying the Coronavirus? I thought it would be ‘all hands-on deck’.” As a scientist, these are but a few questions I have received since the first case of the COVID-19 disease hit the news. I am now here to answer them in full confidence:
With all this said, I still feel confident to answer some misconceptions and general questions that hold true about the virus. “The COVID-19 virus is infecting everyone!” The virus itself is actually SARS-CoV-2. The disease that is caused by the virus is termed COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 comes from a family of Coronaviruses that include MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). “How are we testing if someone has the disease?” The test kit for an active infection involves Real Time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR (polymerase chain reaction). This is a very common practice in most laboratories! PCR is used to study gene expression levels. In this case, we are looking for viral RNA found in a person’s upper and lower respiratory sample. To determine the presence of a previous infection, serology tests are done to test the presence of antibodies to MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV. The body’s immune system produces antibodies to attack viruses and other microorganisms during infection. The presence of antibodies indicates that a person was previously infected. This is done via two screening tests and a confirmatory test. The screening tests are done via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An ELISA is a technique that detects antibodies or infectious agents in a sample. ELISA looks for the presence and concentration of viral proteins, specifically the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins. A positive ELISA for one or both antibodies is followed by a microneutralization assay. This measures virus specific neutralizing antibodies or antibodies that are able to neutralize the virus. “We’ll all be ok if we just don’t touch our faces.” There is a reason everyone is emphasizing and preaching social distancing! The virus is mainly spread via respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. Normally, this spread happens within 6 feet of another person. Hence the reason for the recommended 6 feet social distancing! Avoiding touching your face can lower your chance of acquiring the virus; however, that’s only the case if you continue to wash your hands (which we all should have been doing anyways!) and being aware of your contact with others. Overall, it is important that we continue to protect ourselves, our families, and loved ones. It’s ok to be scared and anxious about the unknown. Continue to stay informed and remember to keep a steady head. Trust in the scientists and trust in our health care professionals. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/testing.html https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00798-8 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/basics/test-approve.html https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
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Jessica PackardI will blog here about my life as a PhD student, research, and other science events. Archives
May 2020
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