COVID-19 Testing and the Strange Pandemic Conundrum of 2020
By Faiza Zia Khan
Newport Beach, CA
The world will not forget a normal year turned bizarre within a few weeks. With all the unprecedented twists and turns in a horror movie it keeps us guessing about what’s next. Media called it a “once-in-a-century” pandemic has us blindsided and does not seem to be leaving anytime soon.
In just five months the mounting human death toll of over 150,000 souls, the unfolding financial calamity of 20 million people losing their jobs, more than 140 companies filing for bankruptcies, and the stock market taking an intense battering worse than the subprime and the dotcom fiasco.
Google, Facebook, and Microsoft announced they will keep their 200,000 plus employees working from home until 2021. Schools, colleges, and universities show no signs of students returning to campus. There have been many legislative moves, laws, and bans imposed, then repealed, causing more confusion. A constant tug of war between authorities versus the common folk, powerful against the suppressed, healthy versus the vulnerable continues. Even after all this, experts apprise to brace up as the worst is yet to come.
Going through a pandemic feelings of “having-seen-it-all” seem to arise - but pay heed to the warnings as the first wave is not completely over yet. What might be coming in the near future is a vast and open question and no one is in a position to confront what is looming out there. The sad part is no preparedness is adequate as the ripple effects will continue to haunt us for years to come.
The COVID-19 next level impact has given way to many theories but we have to get through the pandemic’s first wave to get to the next level. In California the situation has gone from bad to worse. In an attempt to contain the virus, extensive testing was made available by the state of California. California public health officials teamed up with the private sector for a quick and immediate availability of testing facilities made available at fractional costs or completely free of charge.
This initiative established by Governor Newsom for the state launched a comprehensively interactive website to assist Californians in finding community testing sites closer to their homes. It allowed residents to search the testing sites by their address and zip codes enabling them to schedule an appointment online. Testing results were deemed confidential giving all those who took the test peace of mind knowing that their privacy prevails under HIPAA laws.
There are two dominant types of COVID-19 tests available: Viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and the antibody tests (also known as serology tests). What exactly is the difference between the two? Is one better than the other? There are no black and white answers to these questions. As the crisis worsens researchers are gathering more data and looking into other avenues to screen the virus.
California’s community-based testing sites mostly use viral PCR tests which detect current infection. On the other hand, the Antibody tests enable detection of past infections. By taking the antibody test it can be determined if you can be a candidate to donate blood plasma for the ailing patients. This plasma could be used to treat those with severe disease and boost the ability to fight the virus. Physicians call this type of blood plasma, convalescent plasma. If the test results are positive for antibodies, it means there is some immunity.
According to a study conducted by a world renowned health sciences facility it could take from one to three weeks after the virus for the body to develop antibodies. However, controversy arose when the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that having antibodies did not necessarily mean the test subjects are protected from infection themselves or re-infecting others.
There is no concrete research on how long after testing negative or positive for any of the tests the infection may prevail. WHO claimed no COVID-19 test is 100% accurate and to not neglect safety measures even if tested negative. As it is very possible to test negative and yet actually still be infected (false-negative result). In the false-negative results subjects are most likely to spread the infection to others. Researchers have provided hope that when accurate antibody tests become widely available, results will indicate how many people had COVID-19 and recovered, including those who didn't have symptoms. This data will aid in determining who might have immunity. It could potentially also help in “contact-tracing” to assess who else is at the risk of infection and how far the disease spread with interactions of one another. The catch is there is no tentative date made available as to when this data will be accessible.
On the health front it may not be the greatest news, but for financial matters there is some good news for Californians as the Governor has the best interests of his residents close to his heart. Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that “...over $1 billion has gone back into the pockets of more than 3.6 million working Californians and their families through the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC). Californians will get the raise they deserve, by declining to use the authority to suspend the scheduled minimum wage increase in 2021, up to $14 per hour.” Governor Newsom further declared that “although current economic conditions authorize to suspend the scheduled increase in the minimum wage for 2021, there will be an increase forward as reflected in the 2020 state budget. The minimum wage will increase on January 1, to $13.00 per hour for businesses with 25 or fewer employees, and to $14.00 per hour for businesses with more than 25 employees.”
Hopefully these gray clouds looming over us will give way to bright rays of sunshine California is popularly known for, and not the hotbed of coronavirus pandemic it has recently become.
(Faiza Zia Khan holds a Master’s in Journalism degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has collaborated with news media outlets including Global National and actively volunteers for several community investment projects for the Red Cross, United Way and the Breast Cancer Foundation)
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