It is now 2023 and to get a better understanding of the current situation with the virus that continued to develop new tricks as time went on. It was time to get a biologist to get a more laboratory perspective.
COVID-19 is the virus that caused the entire world to go into lockdown, discovered in Wuhan China going into conversation in the U.S. alerted by the CDC in January 2020 and later in March 11 it was declared as a pandemic.
The microbiology and laboratory Administrative Manager at St. Joseph Hospital, Saberina Chaibarlall, was able to speak with The Impact and a better understanding of the current situation and give insight into the medical system.
She does not come into contact with the patient but studies COVID-19 and it is a part of the Microbiology department.
Prior to COVID-19, all types of viruses like “the Flu” were part of testing of the microbiology department, and ever since COVID came out it became something for the department and get on that work.
There is no special task force or a sub-group developed during COVID-19 it was something that was added to the employees at the time.
“Life is back to normal compared to the pandemic situation during the time period or semi-normal I should say,” she said.
Masks are still a requirement for patients and employees to wear.
“Unless you as an employee, and are not directly facing a patient ,you could not wear a mask but besides that things are starting to normalize.”
She said that the threat of the virus no longer sends panic through most people’s minds.
“No, with vaccine we are able to control it but the thing is there if the virus infected people you just wouldn’t know because your body would react differently if you had the vaccine, and if you were exposed before would be making antibodies to the vaccine.”
She was running her numbers before she called, and she said that they were at 22 percent last month, and on one platform, 13 percent of patients, and another 5 percent were all positive.
As time goes on, the virus might be going down but it will still linger around. After August, it is already Flu season and it continues until the winter ends.
The virus is no longer making a drastic rise but instead plateauing but just because things are not “Resident Evil” doesn’t mean the virus is neutralized or there is magically a one-time fix vaccine.
Put your hands down and check yourself with your doctor make a quick high five, she warns.
The current vaccine was developed were made with the intention to handle the 2022 version or the strand of the virus and like any virus it can mutate to make new variants ready to reinfect.
The current E1 virus is out but we are able to combat it by using and studying the previous variant to make the vaccine and continue for years to come again and again.
It is hard to figure out if someone has either influenza or SARS-CoV-2 since when the person is infected with either one the symptoms are alike, she says.
It more easily affects the younger and older population as all viruses tend to do.
From the Centers of Control and Disease Control, the virus produces fever, sore throat, body aches, headache, fatigue, and chills. But looking more into it is also difficult to distinguish the flu from a cold.
There is clinically not much evidence to suggest that the virus affects people of the female sex or their menstrual cycle afterward.
The only way to tell the difference and know if it is Covid-19, is to take the Covid-19 test and see if it is negative or positive.
Is the best way to prevent from getting infected and make sure that plateau stays where it is to simply wash your hands?
From the biologist herself: “I personally whenever I can, wash my hands at all times and I personally did not get COVID throughout the whole pandemic. Being careful around people who have symptoms.”
