HomeArchives June 2020

Serology testing for COVID-19

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Testing can provide important information regarding an individual’s health and virus activity in a population. Serology testing looks for things called antibodies in your blood. Your body makes antibodies when fighting an infection, like COVID-19. The same thing happens when you get a vaccine, like a flu shot. That’s how you build immunity to a virus. When antibodies are detected in your blood it suggests prior infection. The antibody test isn’t checking for the virus itself. Instead, it looks to see whether your immune system – your body’s defense against illness – has responded to the infection. This testing is sometimes also referred to as IgG testing. We currently do not know how well those antibodies work to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus or how long they provide protection.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What does the test involve? This test is a simple blood draw with a needle stick to the arm.

• What will the cost be? $60 per test due at the time of the visit. Insurance will not be billed.

• How soon will I get results? The results will be available through My Chart in 24-48 hours. If you don’t have My Chart, it will be 5-7 business days and will arrive in the mail. Results will not be available by phone.

• Who gets the results? In addition to the individual tested, Orange City Area Health system is required tosubmit test results to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) per order of the Iowa governor.

• What do the results mean?
Positive: IgG antibodies to coronavirus have been detected. It is unknown if this provides immunity to future infection.
Negative: No antibodies to coronavirus detected. A negative or nonreactive result does not rule out past or current infection as individuals tested early after exposure may not have detectable antibodies. Not all individuals will develop a detectable antibody response after infection.

If you have questions on what your individual results mean, please make an appointment with your physician.

• Why do serology testing? You could have SARS-CoV-2 and not know it. Not everyone who gets it has symptoms. You may be curious and want to know if you have had it or your employer may want you to get tested. Experts hope antibody tests can give health officials a better idea of how common the virus is. Once scientists know who has had the virus, they can find out how sick it makes most people. And they can study what happens if people who’ve had it come into contact with it again. Along with other scientific information, this can help researchers understand who might be immune to the virus.

 

Serology testing is available in our Walk-In Clinic throughout July, 2020, Monday-Friday from Noon-4pm. The cost is $60, due at time of service.

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It’s getting to be that time of year again when everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and thinking about how to spend their days. Often they are spent boating, swimming, or fishing. These can be fun times and be a great opportunity to make memories with family and friends, but water can also be dangerous. So here are a few safety tips to be aware of before you head out.

Swimming Safety Tips

Always swim with a buddy, preferably in an area supervised by lifeguards, but never swim alone.

Children should never be left unattended near water; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

Maintain constant supervision, and avoid other distractions.

Take swimming lessons and ensure the whole family learns to swim.

Don’t dive into unknown bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, quarries, or irrigation ditches. Jump feet first to avoid hitting your head, or injuring your neck on the shallow bottom, a hidden rock, or other obstruction.

Do not swim if you have been drinking alcohol.

Do not exceed your swimming ability.

Avoid holding your breath games as this can cause lead to hyperventilating or low oxygen levels and can cause drowning.

Have young children or inexperienced swimmer wear life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

 

Boating Safety Tips

Don’t drink and boat.

Insist that everyone wear a life jacket.

Always tell someone where you will be boating, when you expect to be back, and what your boat looks like.

Ensure your boat has the appropriate safety lights.

Don’t carry more passengers than the maximum capacity listed on the boat.

 

General water safety tips

Check the weather prior to leaving; never participate in water events during thunderstorms or bad weather.

Drink plenty of water.

Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10am and 4pm. Wear sunscreen.

Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets, and a first aid kit readily available at all times.

Consider taking a CPR class.

Hope you get out and enjoy the weather! Have a great summer.

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-by Brad Zwart, DPT, OCS 

“I’m afraid if I pick up something heavy I’ll hurt my back” or “ I avoid stairs because my knees hurt.” These are common statements we hear at the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Department at Orange City Area Health System. Patients are often scared of an activity or movement. They believe it will cause further damage to the tissues of their body, where they have had pain or are currently experiencing pain.

As physical therapists and occupational therapists we listen to your story intently. We consider information from other medical professionals you may have received, and help you start to write the next part of your story. We do this in a way that gives you hope and confidence in your body’s ability to heal and build strength. This will help you gain robustness and resilience, so that you are able to do the things you need and want to do.

An example of this is a patient who shared their story with me, noting how he was afraid that he’d make his problem worse if he lifted heavy things or participated in the hobby he loved. He described his back as degenerating, and showed me a picture of his MRI he had stored on his phone, showing degenerative changes in his spine. I then helped him start gaining confidence by sharing that many people his age would have MRI’s like this, and not be experiencing pain. I related that the way he described his current activity level, his pain, and the physical exam I performed on him, didn’t match what his MRI suggested his problem would act like. After this I prescribed an activity and exercise based program for him to help him gain confidence and strength. I taught him a few specific exercises, practiced a few repetitions of his hobby and gave him instructions in how to slowly increase this. We discussed how pain can often be a false warning, and gave him strategies on how to address this. At the end of the session I asked him what he was noticing and he said that he felt hopeful in the ability to get back to doing the things he has been avoiding.  

Far more important than the exact exercises I prescribed, were some less obvious factors that increased his robustness and resilience to return to the things he wanted and needed to do. This patient was great at sharing his story with me. He was also open to learning things about his body that were different than the ways he was thinking, such as an MRI with degenerative changes doesn’t mean you have to be experiencing pain. He was willing to stay active, to slowly return to the things he wanted to do, and accepting that there are ups and downs on the rehabilitation path. This patient and I formed a great therapeutic alliance which enhanced his recovery.

If you’re ready to write a new chapter in your story that’s full of hope and confidence in the way you move and function, so that you can do the things you want and need to do, see a physical therapist or occupational therapist at Orange City Area Health System.

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