Happy Summer!!
Finally, the turning of a corner into a new warm, bright season hopefully filled with fun and social activities to help move forward.
I’m sure many of you have had your overflowing fill of coronavirus information over these last few months. As overwhelmingly inconvenient, complicated and forced upon us as this has been, it still helps to be informed, aware and objective as much as possible with the ongoing (sometimes conflicting) information we receive.
With that said and at the end of the day, month, season, year – it is still simply a virus, yet in a different, more complex way. While it would be wonderful to say “Good riddance forever,” that may not be possible quite yet.
Fortunately there’s something called immunity, which means that your body has the ability to resist a microbial infection through the powerful action of certain immune cells. Optimal protection – your immune system has your back!
What I find fascinating about this virus (and actually all viruses) is that when a pathogen (in this case a virus) comes into contact with the body – exposure – our immune cells located all throughout the body have the ability to recognize it. “I’ve seen you before, I remember you, I destroyed you and you are not going to take me down again.”
In other cases, the body does not recognize it – “You are not from around here, you look different, you are a new, foreign invader, you are a threat to my (the host – YOU!) well-being and I will attempt to destroy you so that I can survive.”
What’s even more fascinating is that these immune cells – known as Lymphocytes – not only have the amazing ability to fight on our behalf and remember every single viral exposure encounter it’s ever had, they are able to retain this memory of the altercation/exposure in the bloodstream forever! Our amazing immune system keeps a staunch record on file as a way to safeguard.
Continually circulating within the bloodstream are proteins called Immunoglobulins (commonly called Antibodies) derived from those Lymphocytes. Why are these important and relevant to the coronavirus?
COVID-19 Testing
Certain Immunoglobulins called IgG indicate that your immune system was previously exposed and infected. IgG – think “Gone”, but not forgotten. If your body was ever exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19), there is a serology/blood test that will show that your immune system encountered it, remembered it and now shows as elevated IgG in your bloodstream and on the blood test results.
This test is called the Covid-19 Antibody IgG Test and can be initially ordered through Lab Test API followed by a blood draw, processing and interpretation from Quest Diagnostics.
**This qualitative test will only show a past infection and not an active infection.**
Interested in finding out if you were ever exposed and might have immunity? I know I certainly am and have already ordered my test. I had a terrible, lengthy upper and lower respiratory infection this past winter and many of the symptoms resembled that of the coronavirus. A lot of people across this world got sick this winter and may have been exposed and didn’t realize it.
If you would like me to order this test for you, please mention it to me during your next Follow up Appointment or schedule a Follow up or New Patient Appointment and I’ll get that ordered for you. Plus, you’ll get a discount on the test if I order it for you!
Schedule your appointment HERE.
The ordering process is straightforward. I’ll email you a referral letter from Lab Test API, click on the link in the email, set up or sign in to your account, pay for the test, schedule blood draw appointment with a local Quest Diagnostics and test results usually come back within a week. Knowledge and preparedness is c