COMPLETE FAQ ON COVID 19
What is Covid-19 RT-PCR test.
RT-PCR test is used to detect the specific genetic material like RNA or DNA from a particular pathogen. The RT-PCR stands for reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. There is no easy way to explain this but I will try to explain the whole process as easy as I can. .
A swab sample is collected from the parts of the body where the COVID-19 virus gathers, such as a person’s nose or throat. The sample is treated with several chemical solutions that remove substances such as proteins and fats and that extract only the RNA present in the sample. This extracted RNA is a mix of the person’s own genetic material and, if present, the virus’s RNA.
The RNA is reverse transcribed (just think of this as converting a file from one format to another) to DNA using a specific enzyme. Additional short fragments of DNA that are complementary to specific parts of the transcribed viral DNA are added. If the virus is present in a sample, these fragments attach themselves to target sections of the viral DNA. Some of the added genetic fragments are used for building DNA strands during amplification, while the others are used for building the DNA and adding marker labels to the strands, which are then used to detect the virus.
This complicated mixture is then placed in an RT–PCR machine. The machine does its thing(basically make large number of copies).
As new copies of the viral DNA sections are built, the marker labels attach to the DNA strands and then release a fluorescent dye, which is measured by the machine’s computer and presented in real time on the screen. The computer tracks the amount of fluorescence in the sample after each cycle. When a certain level of fluorescence is surpassed, this confirms that the virus is present. Scientists also monitor how many cycles it takes to reach this level in order to estimate the severity of the infection: the fewer the cycles, the more severe the viral infection is.
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When should you do this test.
Covid-19 affects different people in different ways.
Common symptoms of Covid 19 infection are sore throat, loss of smell, loss of taste, mild fever, joint pain, headache, diarrhoea.
Consult your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
How to interpret report
The report usually has two parts. One parts is qualitative and gives out if the sample tested was positive or negative. Positive indicates presence of Covid-19 virus whereas negative indicates no virus detected.
Second part is CT value. CT Value stands for Cycle threshold value. Lesser the CT value, higher the viral load(number of virus) in the body. CT value above 35 means Covid negative. Though some experts connect CT value with severity but in my personal experience, I have seen hundreds of patients with Ct value lesser than 15 but having minimum symptoms. I am no experts, so patient must consult their doctors for any advice.
What are important covid monitoring blood tests.
Covid-19 has affected around 4 crore people in India. Many patients did not have serious symptoms when they were positive but after testing negative, they experienced various problems. Some of the blood test which are commonly advised by the doctors to monitor the health of the patients during and after recovery are :-Hemogram(CBC)IL-6D-DimerFerritinC-Reactive ProteinLDHSGPTKIDNEY PROFILELIVER PROFILEHEART PROFILESugar levels(fasting/pp/HbA1c)
How much time does it take to get reports.
It depend on the workload on the labs as during peak Covid-19 waves, most labs were taking 3-4 days but usually results are available next day.
