As warmer weather approaches, many have heard of or thought about creating a “pandemic pod” with another person or family.  This can be a great way to be in community with our brothers and sisters safely.  If you’re interested, take a look at some helpful tips below!

1. Determine your family/household’s COVID boundaries and risks
2. Consider other families/households that align to or would be willing to align to those boundaries and risks
3. Reach out to the other person/family for general interest
4. Have a “pre-pod” meeting with all involved parties to discuss:
   1. What restrictions (if any) do we follow within the pod?
   2. What restrictions do we follow outside of the pod (restaurants, outdoor activities/indoor activities, shopping, etc)?
   3. For what reasons would the pods need to quarantine from each other?
   4. Go through different “real-life scenarios” to see the honest opinion of the different pod members.
   5. How will the pod deal with broken rules and/or boundaries?
   6. Determine compatibility: honesty is the best policy here. If all parties aren’t feeling good after this meeting, it could lead to bigger issues down the road.
5. Come up with a communication plan.  It could be daily, weekly, or even biweekly. It can be through text, email, or even face to face!  Plan to discuss health updates, report on activities, or potential future plans.
6. Have a COVID exposure plan for communication, expected actions (testing, quarantining, or otherwise).
7. Put the entire plan in writing and have all members in agreement.
8. Quarantine for at least 7 days prior to the pod
9. Have a “trial period” of a few weeks or so.  After the trial period, if members feel uncomfortable or are unwilling to move forward, stop the pod.

Remember, the point of a pod is to help relationships grow, not the other way around.  If you feel that the pod is not life-giving, respectfully contact the pod members.  In the same way, if someone contacts you, avoid defensiveness and work to maintain the relationship, just in a virtual setting 🙂

There are many myths circulating about the COVID-19 vaccines, including that they can make you sick, alter your DNA, and cause infertility. Here are some articles that debunk these common myths: article 1, article 2, article 3.

The goal of all COVID-19 vaccines is to prevent severe illness and death. Some people are worried about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it was found to only be 66% protective against moderate to severe disease, while Pfizer and Moderna were both found to be around 95% protective. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was found to be 85% effective in protecting against severe disease after 28 days, which is quite good. It is important to note that the flu vaccine is only around 40-60% effective.

 

Experts warn the public about comparing the different vaccines to one another. They say it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Each trial is set up completely different, using a different population of people, different geographic regions, and during different time periods. You cannot compare trials to one another unless they are set up in the exact same way. Here are just a few differences to consider when thinking about the three vaccines:

 

• The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials ran during the early months of the pandemic and before the variants were discovered. The Johnson & Johnson trials ran more recently, during the time the variants were in play, and when we saw the highest numbers of cases and hospitalizations.

• The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials included results from mostly U.S. based participants. The Johnson & Johnson trials included results from other countries as well.

To learn more about this topic, check out these articles: article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4.

People get sick when they are exposed to an invader, like a virus, bacteria, or fungus. When the invaders enter the body in high enough numbers, they cause damage to the body and lead to an infection. Infections cause the body to mount a defense against the invader. The system in charge of mounting that defense is called the immune system. Did you know that some of the symptoms that make us miserable when we are sick, like a fever and a headache, are actually the result of your body’s defense against the invader? In fact, the job of a fever is to try and kill the invader. To learn more about the body’s immune system, click here.

The skin is a great defense system against invaders, but there are some weak spots to our bodies. Invaders usually enter our bodies through one of these weak spots: the mouth, eyes, nose, and wounds. These invaders can reach our body’s weak spots through droplets released when a person coughs, sneezes, or talks. They can also reach our weak spots when an infected person touches a surface, we touch that same surface, and then proceed to touch one of our weak spots prior to washing our hands. Depending on the type of invader, they can also be light weight enough to float in the air for an extended amount of time before we breathe them in. We have learned that the coronavirus spreads in all of these ways, but mainly from droplets (large and small ones). To learn more about how the coronavirus spreads, click here.

The coronavirus is mainly spread from person-to-person. Keeping physical distance (at least 6 feet) between yourself and others greatly reduces the ability for the coronavirus to spread. We also know that people may not show symptoms until around days 5-14. So a person may be infected without even knowing it. Or, they may be one of the people that never show any symptoms or have symptoms so mild they aren’t even noticeable. Even though one person may have a mild case, they could potentially pass it along to someone who could get seriously ill or even die. We stay physically distant from each other to keep everyone safe. To learn more about physical distancing, click here.

Face masks help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Because it’s possible to carry and spread coronavirus without showing symptoms, it is best to wear a face-covering even if you think you are healthy. A mask helps contain droplets that come out of your mouth and/or nose when you talk, sneeze, or cough. If you have the coronavirus and are not showing symptoms, a face mask reduces your chance of spreading the infection to others. If you are healthy, a mask may also protect you from larger droplets from the people around you. Click here to watch a video that shows the difference between someone talking both with and without a mask under a black light. To learn more about the importance of wearing face masks, click here.

Cloth masks and surgical masks offer protection, both for you and for the people you may come into contact with. The best cloth masks will have multiple layers of fabric. Your mask should cover your face from the bridge of your nose to under your chin. It should be loose-fitting but still secure enough to stay in place. Make sure you can talk with your mask on and that it doesn’t irritate you. We want to make sure you are not tempted to touch it or to pull it out of place, which could put you at risk from touching your face and limit its effectiveness. To check how well your mask may filter out coronavirus particles, you can perform the “light test.” Hold your mask up to the light. If you can see light through the fabric, then your mask is probably not as effective as something that you can’t see light through. The thicker the material, the denser it is, and the more likely it will be to filter out particles better. To learn more about how to properly wear a mask, click here.

Some people are choosing not to wear a cloth mask because they believe it lowers their oxygen levels and damages their immune system. There is no evidence that wearing a mask lowers your oxygen levels. Masks are designed to be breathed through and people wear them in hospital settings for long periods of time. If a person has a pre-existing lung condition, they should consult their doctor before wearing a cloth mask. But for everyone else, wearing a cloth mask will not affect your ability to breathe.

There is also no evidence that wearing a cloth mask will weaken your immune system. Some people have said that a cloth mask limits your exposure to the bacteria that keep your immune system active and functioning. But, even with a mask on, people are still being exposed to plenty of bacteria through the food they eat and the surfaces they touch. Experts are not recommending we wear cloth masks to protect us against bacteria. They are recommending that we wear them to help prevent droplets containing the coronavirus from being exhaled by an infected person when they cough, sneeze, and talk. They are also recommending we wear them to help prevent us from inhaling droplets that may contain the coronavirus. To learn more about what experts are saying about mask-wearing, oxygen levels, and the immune system, click here.

Yes! There are some people who have recovered from the coronavirus who still test positive for the virus weeks later. And experts are still trying to learn if people can pass along the virus to other people after they have recovered. When in doubt, always choose to wear a mask! When everyone wears a mask in a group, it helps everyone to feel safe and protected. To learn more about people who have recovered and their ability to pass along the virus, click here.

This pandemic is all about risk-reduction and choosing activities that carry lower risk than other activities. Right now, experts still believe that indoor gatherings are riskier than outdoor gatherings, even when there is access to outdoor air. In an indoor space, it is harder to keep people apart from one another and there’s also less ventilation. While there is still so much we don’t know about the coronavirus, here is what we do know:

• The more people you interact with, the greater your risk.
• The longer you interact with people outside of your household, the greater the risk.
• Interacting with people outside of your household increases your risk.
• Some people have the virus and don’t have any symptoms.
• When an infected person talks, sneezes, or coughs, droplets can land on people that are within 6 feet, and can also be inhaled into the lungs of people further away than 6 feet.

Based on this, we still feel that it is too risky to hold in-person church services. To learn more about the risk of coronavirus and indoor settings, click here.

Quarantine: Quarantine is recommended for people who have been exposed (or think they may have been exposed) to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, but have not yet developed symptoms themselves. The purpose of a quarantine is to prevent the virus from spreading to others. Quarantine is also recommended for people returning home after travel (foreign and domestic), and for people who wish to visit with a person/family member that does not live in their household. 

The suggested quarantine time is 14 days. However, it can be shortened to 7 days if you have a negative test result, or 10 days if you do not develop symptoms and do not plan to be tested. However, it is important to monitor for symptoms of the coronavirus for the full 14 days. 

Here are the general rules associated with a quarantine:

• Do not leave your house unless it is an emergency. The only exception would be to go outside for fresh air or a short walk. But, this is only possible if you avoid all people outside of your household. No exceptions for grocery shopping, eating out, socializing (even with masks on and with distancing) with people who do not live in your household. 
• Do not allow visitors to come inside your home. The only people inside your home are those who already live there. 
• Practice proper hygiene and wash your hands often. 
• Monitor for symptoms of the coronavirus. If you develop symptoms, consult your primary care physician for next steps. 
• Because you may have been exposed, do not share items like towels, cups, or utensils with other people living inside your home. 
• Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and those living in your household. 

 

Self-isolation: Self-isolation is recommended when a person has tested positive for the coronavirus or who has coronavirus symptoms. The goal of isolation is to ‘isolate’ the sick person from everyone else to prevent the further spread of the virus. Consult your primary care physician and/or local health department guidelines for when to end self-isolation. 

Here are the general rules associated with self-isolation:

• Follow all rules of a quarantine, and add:
  • Avoid all contact with those in your household. If contact is necessary, proper PPE should be worn at all times and physical distancing should be practiced. 
  • Avoid contact with pets if at all possible. 
  • If possible, the sick person should use a separate bedroom and bathroom than other household members. 
  • The sick person should not join household members to eat; they should eat in their separate room. 
  • Do not share any items with the sick person, including bedding, towels, cups, utensils, etc. 
  • High-touched surfaces, like countertops and door knobs, should be disinfected regularly. 

To learn more about quarantine and self-isolation, click here and here. 

It is normal for a virus to mutate during its life cycle. Mutations are genetic changes. These changes aren’t always a cause for concern. Sometimes they are so slight they may not change the way a virus is passed from person to person or how deadly it is. At this point, there are three main variations (combination of mutations) scientists have found. Variations are typically named by the location they were first discovered: U.K. variant (B.1.1.7), South Africa variant (B.1.351), and Brazil variant (P.1). Each variation has its own combination of mutations and characteristics. To learn more about each variant, click here and here to read information from the CDC.

Before we move on, let’s define two terms you will likely hear on the news and read online: efficacy and effectiveness. They both measure how well a vaccine will prevent disease. Efficacy refers to how well it prevents disease in a clinical trial. Effectiveness refers to how well it prevents disease in the real world. The current coronavirus vaccines have good efficacy. And with more and more people getting vaccinated, we will soon be able to see if they are effective as well.

Here is what we currently know:

The U.K. variant has shown to be more contagious than other variants. In the U.K., they found that this variant is associated with more efficient and rapid transmission than other variants. This means more people getting infected quicker and easier than we see now. There is early evidence showing that it may increase the severity of disease as well (more severe symptoms). In a presentation given by Dr. Anthony Fauci on February 10, 2021, he stated that this variant only very slightly reduces the efficacy of our current coronavirus vaccines. He also believes that this variant will likely be the dominant variant in the United States by March. We need to keep in mind that more people becoming infected at faster rates will create an additional burden on our already suffering health care system. To learn more about this variant click here. To listen to Dr. Fauci’s presentation, click here.

There is more concern associated with the South Africa variant. Early evidence shows that it may be associated with more efficient and rapid transmission as well. According to Dr. Fauci, the efficacy of the current coronavirus vaccines will be moderately to severely reduced. However, he still believes that the vaccines will protect against severe disease (hospitalizations and death).

There is much less known about the Brazil variant at this time. The experimental results are pending. As we learn more, we will update this document.

It is more important than ever to follow public health guidelines: maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet from all people who do not live in your household, wear a mask every time you leave the house, wash your hands often with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer), avoid crowds, indoor spaces, and close contact with anyone not in your household. It is also important to make sure you are wearing a good mask and wearing it correctly. For more information on masks from the CDC, click here.

Thankfully, there are many places that you can get tested for the coronavirus. Some places will require you to have a doctor’s referral, some will require you to make an appointment, and some you won’t need a doctor’s referral or an appointment to get tested.

To find a testing location near you, click here.

There are two main types of coronavirus tests available: tests that look for current coronavirus infection, and tests that look for past coronavirus infection. We will talk about each type in detail below.

Current infection: Tests that look for current infection are called viral tests. There are two main types of viral tests: antigen tests and RT-PCR tests. Antigen tests look for the presence of an invader in the body causing the immune system to mount a defense against it. RT-PCR tests look for the presence of specific genetic material (RNA) in the virus causing the immune system to mount a defense against it. Antigen tests are done on nasal or throat swabs. RT-PCR tests can be done on nasal swabs, throat swabs, or saliva.

There are pros and cons to each type of test for current coronavirus infection. But before we go into that, we want to explain two terms that are commonly used to describe how good a test is: sensitivity and specificity.

Let’s say 100 people are getting tested and 20 of them actually have current coronavirus infection. Sometimes a test will come back negative, but that person is actually positive. We call that a false negative. On the other hand, sometimes a test will come back positive, but that person is actually negative. We call that a false positive.

If all 100 people are tested, and the test correctly identifies 18 of the 20 as being positive for the coronavirus, we would say that the test has high sensitivity. If it only correctly identifies 5 of the 20 as being positive for the coronavirus, we would say that the test has low sensitivity.

Using this same example, let’s say that the test identified 80 people as being positive for the coronavirus, but we know that only 20 actually have it. We would say that the test has low specificity, meaning it did not correctly identify those without the virus. It gave too many false positives. If the test identified 23 people as being positive for the coronavirus, we would say that the test had high specificity. Meaning it returned many fewer false positives.

Now let’s get back to the pros and cons of the antigen test and the RT-PCR test. Let’s start with the antigen test. The antigen test tends to cost less money to produce and you can get your results back fairly quickly. It also has high specificity, meaning it does a pretty good job at correctly identifying those without coronavirus infection. However, it doesn’t do as good of a job at identifying people who actually have the infection, meaning it has lower sensitivity. For this reason, if your antigen test is negative, but you are showing symptoms, your doctor may order a RT-PCR test to confirm that you are actually negative. The RT-PCR test costs more money to produce and it may take longer (up to a week) to get your results back. But, it does a really great job at correctly identifying those with and without coronavirus infection. For this reason, the test usually does not need to be repeated, and it is considered the gold-standard test for diagnosing current coronavirus infection.

Past Infection: Tests that look for past infection are called antibody tests and are done on blood from a blood draw or a finger prick. Test results are usually provided within a few days. An antibody is like a soldier who is trained to fight one specific enemy and that specific enemy alone. Sometimes the soldier will remember who their target is for a long time, but sometimes it will forget shortly after getting its fighting orders. The antibody test is looking to see if you have any soldiers with the sole mission of fighting the coronavirus. If they find the antibodies against the coronavirus in your system, then it means you were already infected with the virus and recovered. Antibodies can usually be detected in your body 1-3 weeks after your symptoms began. Although the data are preliminary, it looks like the antibodies trained to fight the coronavirus may remember the coronavirus and keep fighting it for up to three months.

To learn more about the different types of tests available, click here. To learn more about the sensitivity and specificity of the antibody test, click here.

Besides looking at the sensitivity and specificity of the different coronavirus tests, there are other things that can affect the accuracy of your results as well. In order to increase the accuracy of your results, the sample (nasal swab, throat swab, saliva, etc.) has to be collected correctly and it needs to be shipped carefully to the lab. Also, preliminary data is showing that the time between infection and testing can also affect test results. If you get tested too soon or too late, you may not have enough virus in your body for the test to find it. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t infected.

Data from a study at Johns Hopkins University show that you should get tested immediately after you display coronavirus symptoms. If you wait too long, you may end up with a false negative test. What if you don’t have any symptoms but you were exposed to a person who has the coronavirus? That is where it gets a bit tricky. Data from this same study showed that you should wait 2-3 days after you have been exposed before getting tested. Other studies are finding similar results as well. Chiquacta, who works as an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, has found that it is best to get tested 5-7 days after exposure if you do not have symptoms. If you display symptoms, you should get tested right away.

To learn more about the study from Johns Hopkins University, click here and here. To learn more about what other studies have found, click here and here.

The most important thing to understand about coronavirus testing is that it only tells you your status at the time of testing. Meaning, you could test negative and become infected on the way home. Or you could test negative, but only because you didn’t have enough virus in your body to be detected yet. For this reason, the advice on what to do if you test positive or negative is basically the same.

• If you were exposed to someone who is infected with the coronavirus, you should quarantine for 14 days after your last contact with that person, even if you receive a negative test result.
• If you test positive for the coronavirus and have symptoms, you should quarantine for 10 days after your symptoms began. You should not come off of quarantine, though, until you have gone 24-hours without a fever (and no fever-reducing medicines) and your other symptoms are also improving.
• If you test positive for the coronavirus but do not have symptoms, you should quarantine for 10 days after receiving a positive test result. But if you develop symptoms, you need to follow the guidance listed above.

For more information from the CDC on when/how long to quarantine, click here and here.

There are four main types of swabs being used to test for the coronavirus: nasopharyngeal (aka “deep nasal swab”), oropharyngeal (aka “throat swab”), mid-turbinate (aka “mid-deep nasal swab), and anterior nasal (aka “shallow swab”). Before we go on, it is important to note that none of the coronavirus tests currently being used have been officially approved by the FDA. In order to receive official FDA approval, a test must prove that it is accurate, meaning it has to prove that it can correctly detect a healthy person from a sick person. Because this process can take a long time, the FDA allows certain tests to be used during emergencies under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Tests that are granted EUA are still reviewed by the FDA, but they have not gone through the more careful review to prove that they are accurate. Because of this, the only data we have about which type of swab works better than another type of swab is from small studies. While small studies can help us learn about the potential accuracy of a test, we need larger studies that can duplicate the findings before we know for sure. To learn more about EUAs, click here.

There are differences between the different kinds of swabs, ranging from where the sample is taken to who is authorized to take the sample. They are described below:

Swab Type	Sample Location	Who Can Collect?	Perceived Discomfort (based on Eryka’s experience)
Deep Nasal	Nose (inserted straight back into the nose, about as far back as the distance between your nostril and the opening of your ear	Healthcare provider only	Moderately uncomfortable, but it went away after the swab was collected. I felt pressure, a burning sensation, and it made my eyes water.
Mid-Deep Nasal	Nose (inserted straight back into the nose, about an inch into the nose)	Healthcare provider, patient (if supervised)	Mildly uncomfortable, but it went away after the swab was collected. I felt pressure, but not as much pressure as I felt when I got the deep swab.
Shallow Nasal	Nose (right inside your nose)	Healthcare provider, patient (if supervised)	Very mild to no discomfort. It was very quick.
Throat	Throat (swab is done on the tonsils)	Healthcare provider only	I did not receive a throat swab. From what I have read, it may be mildly uncomfortable and you may feel a gagging sensation.

As we said before, the data we have on the accuracy of the different swabs is preliminary. Here is what experts have discovered so far based on small studies:

• The Deep Nasal Swab may be more accurate in detecting the coronavirus than the Throat Swab (article 1, article 2, article 3).
• The Deep Nasal Swab may be more accurate in detecting the coronavirus than the Mid-Deep Nasal Swab (article 1, article 2, article 3)
• The Deep Nasal Swab may be more accurate in detecting the coronavirus than the Shallow Nasal Swab (article 1)

Chiquacta has also indicated that in her experience at the hospital, the Deep Nasal Swab has been the standard for reliable testing.

 

We would recommend you speak to your healthcare provider if you have any additional questions about which swab to get if you think you have been exposed to the coronavirus or are showing symptoms of the coronavirus.

At this time, researchers are not certain whether people can become immune to the coronavirus or not. They are not sure if getting the coronavirus and recovering from it may protect a person from becoming reinfected in the future. And if a person does gain immunity to the coronavirus, they are not sure how long that immunity will last. To learn more about immunity and antibody testing, click here.

Despite recent reports that people may be immune for up to 3 months following infection with the coronavirus, the CDC released a statement on August 14, 2020, stating the current data does not support this claim. To read this release, click here.

Yes! Research has shown that there are several things you can do to strengthen your immune system. A few ways to strengthen the immune system include getting enough sleep, managing stress levels, exercising regularly, avoiding/quitting cigarette smoking, and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin D has also been shown to play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Some people lack sufficient levels of Vitamin D due to genetics, a lack of exposure to sunlight, and certain health conditions. If you are looking for ways to strengthen your immune system during COVID-19, we would recommend you speak to your healthcare provider before making any changes. To learn more about ways to strengthen the immune system, click here and here.