As COVID-19 instances arrive in the United States and Chicagoers venture more to painting and playing, protocols for gaining coronavirus control seem to be evolving.
WBEZ asked questions about the COVID-19 tests. And now we have the answers, with those of Dr. Sadiya Khan, assistant professor and cardiovascular epidemiologist at Northwestern University.
Below is a modified edition of those questions and Khan’s answers, along with the names of the other people who gave his permission.
Question: Do you want a car for driving tests? Can you walk or ride a bike?
Answer: Some centers will allow you to walk or bike and others will not. Call forward to get out.
Interviewed through Peter Contos, Albany Park.
Q: Why do loose sites that run through the city of Chicago use non-nasal or nasopharyngeal saliva tests collected by themselves? Do salivary have a decreased sensitivity?
A: It is not known why they are decided by this method, but it can be similar to resources if they do not have anyone to do the tests. The use of saliva tests with swabs is simple, as it allows other people to do their own tests and not disclose them to the user who performs them. (Note: A recent Yale test indicated that saliva tests would possibly be more accurate than nasal tests, but the test is still awaiting peer review.)
Interviewed through Sara Navin, Ukrainian people.
Q: I’m involved in the self-administered checks as accurate as if a professional took a sample. Are there discrepancies in the results of the checks?
A: It’s not yet transparent, but we know it’s vital to get a good enough pattern to get a quick check result. As long as the average user is well trained, so is the average.
Asked through Mariana Saucedo, La Villita.
Q: What are the fastest tactics to be tested? Why aren’t so many other people who have gained effects after weeks?
A: Call your care doctor number one or make a stopover on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s online page to see which verification sites are open. Make an appointment, you walk where you don’t know if the queue can last for hours. Why do control effects take so long? It’s about having the right resources to get the effects. So we’re late.
Q: Are the tests loose in some places? I imagine you still have to pay an appointment first?
A: Test centers vary. Some do loose tests, where they do not accept advance payments. And some would possibly settle for a payment, however, it would be covered by fitness insurance, so you will not be charged for the test.
Interviewed through Eileen Rohan, Evergreen Park.
Q: Can transitional unemployment benefits prevent you from receiving a free check?
A: Temporary unemployment doesn’t keep you from taking a loose test.
Interviewed through Matt M., Uptown.
Q: What is the difference between COVID-19 and antibody tests? I have several members of my circle of relatives who don’t take things seriously because one of our parents tested positive for the virus, but then tested negative for antibodies. Is that imaginable or was it a mistake?
A: The goal of antibody control is to check if someone has been exposed to the coronavirus. We know that up to 25% of others who get the virus may not have symptoms, and it has been a challenge to verify to identify who uses it and can also transmit it. I think it’s too early to say with the antibody to check if it’s the right type or not. One situation is that it’s just a false negative result. So, the user who verified had antibodies, and the verification did not stumble upon them.
The other option is that scientists would possibly realize that some other people might not have fixed an antibody reaction or a reaction good enough to be detected through the test, but that they still had COVID-19.
Read more: All WBZEs from the COVID-19 outbreak in Chicago and the region
And the third is that it is imaginable that one of the other controls is incorrect. Maybe they didn’t have COVID-19 and antibody control no longer shows antibodies. However, this is less likely.
Interviewed through Kelsey Kleidon, Oak Park.
Kristen Schorsch covers public fitness in the WBEZ and policy team. Follow @kschorsch.
Correction: An earlier of this story misspelled the surname of questioner Peter Contos.