While America and the rest of the world try to come to grips with a virus that is proving to be a silent killer there are also tens of thousands of people who have survived COVID-19. As the medical and scientific community work together to find answers to this illness there have been claims that people are showing signs of contracting the Coronavirus twice. The experts at Medcare have researched this question and uncovered information you will likely find useful in this blog.
What is CoronaVirus?
‘Coronaviruses’ are actually a group of viruses that affect birds and mammals. However, they can also cause respiratory tract infections in humans that range in severity from mild to harsh. COVID-19 is a variation of the virus. You may read the terms ‘coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’ used interchangeably but COVID-19 is a subset of coronaviruses.
There are also instances where the term ‘novel coronavirus’ is being used. In this case the word ‘novel’ means ‘new or never before experienced’ and the correct explanation is that ‘COVID-19 is an illness that has been caused by the novel coronavirus’.
What are the Symptoms of COVID-19?
The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the cold and flu. They may begin to appear anywhere from 2 to 14 days after exposure and include shortness of breath, pressure or pain in your chest, fever and cough.
There is no known cure for COVID-19. Like other viruses, doctors and Physician Assistants will treat the symptoms. Every case of COVID -19 is different. In some instances, people have had the virus and been ‘asymptomatic’. In other words, they do not display any form of illness whatsoever. In other cases, it has proved deadly. The best option is to take care of your health, wash your hands often, social distance and cover your face and nose when you leave your house.
Can You Contract the CoronaVirus or COVID-19 More than Once?
A virus is different from a bacterial infection. Infections can be treated with a variety of antibiotics and will usually respond to one or another allowing the person who is ill to recover. But there are no ‘cures’ for a virus. Instead, the body must use its own immune system to develop an ‘antibody’ that will fight off the virus and ‘put it in remission’. In other words, you have developed a natural immunity to the virus.
Common wisdom and medical professionals alike say that once a person has contracted COVID-19 and recovered they now have the antibodies necessary to prevent a second occurrence of the illness. Even so, China and Japan claim there has been a small percentage of the population who have recovered from the virus and have later tested positive for it a second time.
Frankly, the medical community is skeptical of such an allegation. It defies what scientists and researchers have learned about viruses over the past decades. Their response to this phenomenon includes the following:
- COVID-19 is novel and scientists, researchers and doctors alike are all working to understand it.
- There is not enough data or peer-reviewed studies available to support or refute these claims of a reoccurrence of the virus.
- Some experts believe that the problem is not a reoccurrence of the virus but errors in the testing process itself.
Advice from Medcare Urgent Care Staff to Avoid or Treat COVID-19
- Do not panic when you hear rumors about COVID-19.
- Educate yourself on what is known about COVID-19.
- Follow the advice of medical experts including Medcare staff – wash
your hands regularly, cover your face and nose when you go out in public and practice social distancing. These suggestions are proving to be excellent tools for combating COVID-19. Resources: CDC & Michigan.gov
Finally, don’t worry too much about getting COVID-19 a second time. Instead, try to prevent contracting the illness the first time. The staff at Medcare Urgent Care in Redford are trained to provide expert medical care. Visit the walk-in clinic at 26611 W 7 Mile Rd, Redford, MI 48240 or phone (313) 300 2549 to learn more about our services visit our website at www.medcaremich.com