. . . what happens when we are devastatingly, unequivocally, reminded of our alikeness? Tell me there isn’t something achingly exquisite about scientists—from every corner of the globe—frantically working for one united goal. Tell me this hasn’t reminded you of how honorable and ancient the role of healer is.
There have been reports about people who had recovered from covid-19 disease but who were tested positive for the virus again. Obviously, scary story.
First, read this part of the sentence again: people who had recovered from covid-19 disease but who were tested positive for the virus again. The publications on this phenomenon all stressed that none of the people were actually sick at the time of retesting.
Next, this is how my favourite virologist explained it to me and a million listeners yesterday.
Imagine a full paddling pool with loads of goldfish swimming in the water. Now take a bucket and with your eyes closed dip it in and fill it up. When you pull it up and look inside, you'll see that you've caught lots of goldfish. Not difficult.
OK, the paddling pool is your body, the goldfish are the corona virus load inside an infected body and the bucket dip is the PCR test. Which is the testing method used the world over to find out whether a person is positive, i.e. infected with the virus.
After about 7-10 days of the body actively working on building an immune defense against the virus, in most cases by being sick with fever and whatnots, the virus load has decreased and will continue to do so for a while longer. Back at our paddling pool this means that if you now, maybe two weeks later, dip in the bucket with your eyes closed, you may actually come up with a bucket full of water but no more goldfish despite the fact that there are still some left in the pool. And a few days later, when you do this again, bucket, eyes closed, dip etc., you do catch the odd goldfish after all. Which is why the PCR test can be negative after 7-10 days and suddenly positive again after, let's say, 12 or 14 days.
I hope that helps. It helped me.
Thank for the introduction to Haya Alyan, giving me the thought that scientists are involved in the mystery of healing in a socially distant way. They are behind-the-scenes essential workers who are part of a team that includes caregivers, medical technicians, nurses and doctors.
ReplyDeleteThe goldfish imagery works for me. I'm grateful to you and to the virologist.
Yes, that quote is so beautiful and important right now. There are people working working working to help us all get through this. I find peace remembering that. Also breathe a sigh of relief thinking about the goldfish. Thank you for all of this.
ReplyDeleteyes, it does help. I wonder though, how long they will track these people who have recovered. long enough to find out if they will get sick again or continue to test them and find that they are negative again?
ReplyDeleteI am sure there are numerous studies following patients in a variety of settings for longer periods of time. To date, there has not been a single case of someone getting ill with it again despite test results. I'll try an put links to the actual studies online.
DeleteThanks for that, I've been wondering if the whole conferring immunity theory was wrong. People who survive this should at least end up immune!
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read in the medical reviews, there is an indication that the heavier the actual covid illness was, the higher the immunity appears to be.
DeleteI am very appreciative of the goldfish imagery but not at all relieved about it. I think it makes it seem much scarier - seem to be healed but in fact not at all over the disease at the time of the first, though negative, test.
ReplyDeleteThe way I understand it is that presence of the virus at that late stage means presence of the Virus's RNA, which is not infectious. Apparently, this can also be detected in stool of recovered patients for a very long time and has been tested for several months in thousands of recovered patients worldwide without any indication of being infectious.
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