FOLLOW UP TO COVID TESTING
I was quite touched by people sending me messages of support about my positive Covid-19 testing but I was also still a little surprised by some of the responses and subsequent questions. I wanted to update things with a shorter (relatively 😜), and hopefully clearer post.
There are 2 kinds of tests.
SWAB = tests for active disease (mostly). Those which look for genetic material from the virus in your nose, throat or lungs indicating that the virus is still in your system. Although these also can show parts of the dying virus as you are recovering, this test indicates whether you still have the virus present and can infect others. It will be positive even a few days before symptoms start, be positive while you are sick and will in general be positive for 7-10 days, in rare cases even longer, after symptoms clear. It basically means you can infect others.
BLOOD/SERUM = tests for some active but mostly, past infection, depending on the clinical situation. This test measures levels of antibodies, defence proteins your body creates against the virus. IgM, early phase antibodies, will be positive within a few days of infection and will disappear completely in 7-10 days after the start of infection. IgG (late phase) will become positive about a week after infection (not necessarily when symptoms develop) and continue to slowly rise and will stay positive forever, regardless of when you were infected. Levels do slowly decrease over time (years). If your IgM antibodies are positive, you are probably very early in your infection and actively sick and infectious to others. Having a negative IgM and positive IgG indicates that at some point in the past, you WERE exposed to the virus, your body recognized it as foreign and started to generate antibodies against it. Your exposure was probably NOT within the last 1-2 weeks and could have been 2 months ago, or earlier, so you are NOT infectious. The only caveat to that is that if you recently were re-exposed to the virus and didn’t know it, you could still be infectious. In addition, there is greater false positive and negative results with the IgM antibody but less error rate with the IgG.
As you can see, there are many subtleties to the tests and interpretation of results given various situations. You will have to discuss your specific situation with your doctor.
In my case, I NEVER had ANY symptoms of illness in the last few months, even before this pandemic erupted. As a healthcare worker, I have treated many patients for many things, including some pretty sick and Covid-19 positive patients, but never was in a situation where I was not well protected or significantly concerned about personal infection. We use very strict protocols about who and how we see patients both in the office, ER and hospital floors. I am very careful when in stores buying essentials. I wear a mask all the time and social distance. I have eased up a little on swabbing groceries down (there is no evidence of transmission this way) but do let things sit in the garage for a few days if not perishable. When I get home from work, I strip down in the garage out of my scrubs (my new daily uniform), put my clothes in a separate laundry bin and go straight to the shower. This vigilance will continue, most likely for a long time, maybe even for good.
There are a few important points to make.
1) Despite my best efforts and vigilance, and lack of symptoms, I still apparently was exposed to the virus and developed antibodies SO please be careful and be vigilant yourselves. My exposure may have happened a few weeks ago or possibly a few months ago. There is no way to tell.
2) I am 53 (not “elderly” but no spring chicken either), have a well controlled chronic disease (autoimmune diabetes) and despite that, my immune system is robust enough to combat the virus quite nicely. I attribute this to my healthy vegan diet, regular exercise, meditation and constant attempts to improve in all aspects of my life. I am certainly not perfect, but I try. Hopefully this is an example to others of what is possible.
3) For my friends, family and patients, it is safe to be around me since I am presently NOT ill and can’t get anyone else sick, UNLESS, I become re-infected which can happen anytime. I am very aware of everything that is going on in our community and in the office and we are taking all the steps we can to keep everyone safe.
4) If you have a positive test, or have had symptomatic Covid-19, it does NOT mean you are immune and any less capable of spreading the disease to others if you contact the virus again. If there is some possible immunity, it MAY help you combat it better if re-exposed but it certainly will not kill it any faster on your hands or clothes. It might not live as long in your nose but it will for some time, so continue to be vigilant.
5) MOST IMPORTANTLY, there are probably many, more people out there who, despite not having been ill or having had mild symptoms, have probably been infected with this virus. The only way to know is to test everyone which is not reasonable or necessary. Overall, from the statistics we are seeing worldwide, 98-99% of people get through this just fine. We need to be careful but STOP PANICKING! We will get through this, albeit with a new “normal”, but we will get through. Stop watching the news so much. Although information is important, and we continue to learn about this virus and disease process daily, the constant hammering by the media doesn’t help. Keep a schedule. Personally, I check a few reliable sources on-line and get trustworthy email updates which I check only twice a day. I do watch CNN and do trust Sanjay Gupta, their medical chief correspondent. I also trust Dr. Fauci.
6) THE BIGGEST LESSON FROM ALL THIS, THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE. To best get through as safely as possible, and to help prevent new infections, we MUST get personally healthier. Just being overweight trickles your risk for Covid-related complications. Hypertension increases the risks 10x and diabetes 7x. Although there are many aspects to improving health, what we eat and drink is by far the most important determinant. Eliminate as much animal-sourced food and focus on a plant-based diet. Pack those fruits and veggies in. I have been studying lifestyle medicine, especially nutritional aspects, and their impact on human health, planetary health as well and ethical benefits, for almost 5 years. The health benefits are indisputable, despite the best advertising efforts of the meat, dairy, sugar and processed food industries’ efforts to delude us into thinking otherwise. The ONLY diet shown to reverse disease LONG-TERM, is a plant based diet. Animal products provide no fiber and negligible amounts of vitamins and minerals but do pump you full of chemicals like antibiotics, hormones and inflammatory compounds. Plants, on the other hand, provide all the vitamins and minerals you need in the correct combinations, plus many protective phytochemicals (plant protective compounds). And, to address the most common question: “Where do I get my protein?”, the answer is simple. Plants provide more than enough protein. It seems to make sense to add some supplemental Vitamin D3, espetially oif you are low, and most people are. 2-4000 a day of D3. Also, add some vitamin C. Zinc maybe, if you can get it. But there is not much else out there that is worth overspending on (except fruits and veg!).
As far as climate change is concerned, the animal agricultural industry accounts for more global warming than all modes of transportation, combined, worldwide and from an ethical perspective, we kill almost 90 BILLION animals to eat every year. So by eating more plants, you help yourself, the animals and the planet all at once. ✌️
I heard something the other day about how “individual efforts will make you healthier but will not reverse climate change (or save all the animals). Change must occur on a massive scale. However, we cannot have massive change to reverse climate change without individual efforts”.
Do your best. Every bit counts.
Have a great weekend.
Enjoy your families, friends and the outdoors in the safest way you can.
Stay safe and be well.
AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻♂️🌎😷
If you want to go deeper or get more references to many lifestyle topics, check out my website. DoctorChuma.com
Ps I have nothing to sell but information.