Contagious

To spread from one person or organism to another by direct or indirect contact is being contagious.

Everyday we wake up, get dressed, then go out and intermingle with others. We travel with others, work with others, party with others, eat with others, dance with others and (if you are lucky) get into a close embrace with others.

Do we ever ask if they are contagious?

If someone is coughing and having a difficult time, we avoid them. If someone has a sniffle, we rationalize it is a mere common cold or an allergy.

We shake hands to make a sale; we hug tight for selfies and kiss ‘goodnyte’ without another thought…. until now.

What happens during coronavirus testing?

If your provider thinks you may have COVID-19, he or she will contact the CDC or your local health department for instructions on testing. You may be told to go to a special lab for your test. Only certain labs have been allowed to do tests for COVID-19.

There are a few ways that a lab may get a sample for testing.

·      Swab test. A health care provider will use a special swab to take a sample from your nose or throat.

·      Nasal aspirate. A health care provider will inject a saline solution into your nose, then remove the sample with gentle suction.

·      Tracheal aspirate. A health care provider will put a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope down your mouth and into your lungs, where a sample will be collected.

·      Sputum test. Sputum is a thick mucus that is coughed up from the lungs. You may be asked to cough up sputum into a special cup, or a special swab may be used to take a sample from your nose.

·      Blood. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm.

The FDA has approved more widespread use of a rapid test for COVID-19. The test, which was developed by the CDC, uses samples from the nose, throat, or lungs. It enables fast, accurate diagnosis of the virus. The test is to be used at any CDC-approved lab across the country.

Are there any risks to the test?

You may feel a tickle or a gagging sensation when your nose or throat is swabbed. The nasal aspirate may feel uncomfortable. These effects are temporary.

There is a minor risk of bleeding or infection from a tracheal aspiration.

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

If you were diagnosed with a coronavirus infection, you should also take the following steps to prevent others from getting sick:

·      Stay home, except to get medical care.

·      Wear a facemask when you are around other people.

·      Do not share drinking glasses, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with people in your home.

·      Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue, not your hands.

·      Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

If your results were negative, you may need further testing and/or an exam by your provider. Until you get a diagnosis, you will still need to take steps to prevent spreading the infection.

Have you taken your test? Did you pass?

Is there anything else I need to know about coronavirus testing?

You can lower your risk of getting an infection by taking the following steps:

·      Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

·      Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

·      When possible, keep away from people who are coughing and sneezing.

·      Clean frequently-touched objects and surfaces with a household disinfectant spray or wipe.

Tomorrow will be different. There will be more reports of positive test. There will be more detentions. There will be more body counts. There will be greater fear.

Being contagious is unseen. Unlike measles with red rash or the plague with boils, the person on the street looks the same as they did yesterday. If those who were contagious would turn green, then the rest of us would know whom to avoid.

Still during the ‘Jim Crow’ era, the color of the skin seemed contagious, but it wouldn’t wipe off and you couldn’t catch it.

Are all those people invading the country from the southern border contagious? Are all those people trying to escape warfare contagious? Are those who don’t have the same faith contagious?

Our reaction for safety in the unknown will cancel the flight overseas for vacation. The weekend cruise could turn into months at sea without docking. The song and dance festival and the ethic gathering will be canceled. Sports events will have to be watched on television. Business meeting will be made on the phone.

Emergency workers will have to dress like spacemen. Emergency rooms will overflow with a cough or a sneeze. Sport arenas will become staging areas for those who are possibly contagious. If one is found positive to a test, are all the others who have been exposed? What about the armies?

Would you want to go to an office with others who ‘maybe’ contagious? Do you want your kids to go to school with other kids who ‘maybe’ contagious? Would you touch the tithing plate when passed or touch the communion?

Don’t worry. The pharmaceutical industry will come up with a pill or a shot or potion or concoction to ward off this latest threat to invade our bodies and wellness. It will be costly but it will be worth it (even if it is not covered by your health plan).

The real problem will become dating. How can the species continue to procreate without two people getting close to each other?

It seems, from all the comments on social media, that anger and disgusting language has become contagious. Maybe this is the plague of the mind?

Yawning is contagious. Laughter is contagious. Music is contagious.

I wonder when ‘peace, love and kindness’ will become contagious?