This increases the chances that hospitals and other healthcare facilities will be equipped to handle any influx of patients.įalse negative: a test result that mistakenly indicates you are not infected when you are.įalse positive: a test result that mistakenly indicates you are infected when you are not. Flattening the curve is shorthand for implementing mitigation strategies to slow things down, so that fewer new cases develop over a longer period of time. The sample is then checked for the virus's genetic material (PCR test) or for specific viral proteins (antigen test).Įffectiveness: indicates the benefit of a vaccine in the real world.Įfficacy: indicates the benefit of a vaccine compared to a placebo in the context of a clinical trial.Įpidemic: a disease outbreak in a community or regionįlattening the curve: refers to the epidemic curve, a statistical chart used to visualize the number of new cases over a given period of time during a disease outbreak. A sample is collected using a swab of your nose, your nose and throat, or your saliva. These may include identifying and isolating those who are ill, and tracking down anyone they have had contact with and possibly placing them under quarantine.ĭiagnostic test: indicates whether you are currently infected with COVID-19. Because no vaccines exist to prevent COVID-19 and no specific therapies exist to treat it, containment is done using public health interventions. Contacts may be quarantined or asked to isolate themselves if they start to experience symptoms, and are more likely to be tested for coronavirus if they begin to experience symptoms.Ĭontainment: refers to limiting the spread of an illness. The contacts are notified that they are at risk, and may include those who share the person's home, as well as people who were in the same place around the same time as the person with COVID-19 - a school, office, restaurant, or doctor's office, for example. A homologous booster is the same brand as the initial vaccine a heterologous booster is a different brand than the initial vaccine.Ĭommunity spread (community transmission): is said to have occurred when people have been infected without any knowledge of contact with someone who has the same infectionĬontact tracing: a process that begins with identifying everyone a person diagnosed with a given illness (in this case COVID-19) has been in contact with since they became contagious. An antibody test can indicate if you were previously infected but is not a reliable way to determine whether you are currently infected.Īntigen: a substance displayed on the surface of a microbe that stimulates the body to produce an immune response.Īntigen test: a diagnostic test that detects specific proteins on the surface of the virus.īooster: an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine given after protection from the initial vaccine series begins to decline. If the antibodies later encounter the same infection, they help prevent illness by recognizing the microbe and preventing it from entering cells.Īntibody test: also known as a serologic test, an antibody test is a blood test that looks for antibodies created by your immune system. A mask can help prevent that spread.Īntibodies: proteins made by the immune system to fight infections. Aerosolized coronavirus can remain in the air for up to three hours. Another person can breathe in these aerosols and become infected with the virus. Aerosols are emitted by a person infected with coronavirus - even one with no symptoms - when they talk, breathe, cough, or sneeze. We will continue to provide important updates.Īerosols: infectious viral particles that can float or drift around in the air. We know a lot more about COVD-19 than we did in 2020 and yet we're still learning. The good news is these steps will also reduce your risk of developing other respiratory viruses, like colds or flus, too. That may mean temporarily wearing masks indoors or avoiding large gatherings if COVID-19 levels are high in your area. They are the best defense against the virus, as they protect against serious disease, hospitalization, and death.Įven if you have been vaccinated, you will want to follow public health guidelines. Vaccines against COVID-19 are very safe and effective. Some people may go on to suffer from post-COVID conditions, known as “long COVID.” But it can be much more serious for older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, and those who haven’t been vaccinated and fully boosted against COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 have mild respiratory symptoms that feel much like a cold or flu. It is very contagious, and spreads quickly. COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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