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Milan, November 15, 2020 – The second wave of coronavirus in Lombardy: In the last week, every day new infections fluctuate between 8 thousand and 10 thousand (21.8% of the cases in all Italy). It also depends a lot on the number of made swabs. The drop in the Rt index gives hope, but the pressure on hospitals is worrying. Many go to the emergency room at the first symptoms of Covid and many others flock to health facilities or drive-ins to do the test and see if they are positive. There are also those who choose the serological test. But what are the differences?
For more information: Covid symptoms, what to do? Here are the answers
Swab (molecular test)
the buffer used to diagnose presence of the virus in the body and then to find out if there is an ongoing infection. The swab, which is done very quickly with the help of a cotton swab placed at the end of a long stick, can be practiced in two different ways: by inserting the stick into the nose (nasopharyngeal swab) or by inserting the stick into mouth (throat swab). Once inserted, the cotton swab is gently rubbed into the mucous membrane. This procedure can be done in adults and children. by trained personnel and equipped with all necessary precautions: gloves, mask, lenses me dress single use only. The swab made will finally be sent to a specialized laboratory capable of identifying, through molecular tests, the presence or absence of the virus within the pharynx. In Lombardy, the result is also online, so you no longer have to wait for a phone call from your doctor or a communication from the local health authorities. An initiative that aims to sexceed expectations generated by the high traffic of information flows and that allows access the electronic medical record to all citizens, even for those who have not yet activated it using standard procedures. In case of positivity, you should isolate yourself from your family and avoid contact, even if you are asymptomatic.
To know more: Asymptomatic Covid, is it contagious?
Serological test
Instead, serological tests are used to look for direct antibodies against the virus, to understand then if a person is have already come into contact with the coronavirus. The procedure to perform a serological test involves the sampling and analysis of blood. In some cases, that is, for rapid serological tests, only one a single drop of blood taken from the tip of a finger. Serological testing can demonstrate presence of some antibodies in the patient’s serum: in the case of positive IgM antibodies, it means that the infection is present or recent; In the case of negative IgM antibodies and positive IgG antibodies, it means that there has been an infection in the past. Although this test cannot determine if antibodies are neutralizing and, therefore, whether a person is protected or not. This leaves some doubt, since a negative result can have several meanings: the subject could I have never contacted with the SARS-CoV-2 virus; subject may have entered contact with the virus very recently, therefore not have antibodies still developed; subject may have entered contact with the virus and have developed antibodies, the level of which, however, at the time of the test was lower than that of the test detection. For these reasons, serological testing cannot be considered a substitute for swab, since it is only the latter that demonstrates the presence or absence of the viral generic material. For this reason, The Ministry of Health also recommends taking samples in case the serological test is positive.
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