Sunday, May 10, 2020

Will Antibodies Protect You From Reinfection?

PLUS: 7 Tips For Dealing With Uncertainty

Shots

A medical worker walks in front of Transformé MD Medical Center in White Plains, N.Y., where antibody testing was being offered.
Pablo Monsalve/VIEW press/Corbis via Getty Images

Can You Catch COVID-19 Twice?

A key question as the world seeks an exit strategy from the pandemic is this: Are people who have been infected with the novel coronavirus immune from catching it again – and, if so, for how long?

NPR’s Richard Harris this week takes us inside the labs of immunologists who are trying to find out. Though it may be a year before they have firm answers, the earliest evidence suggests the human body can produce antibodies capable of squelching the virus – at least in a petri dish.

Read on to learn more about what an antibody test will and won't tell you.
 
BONUS: How's Your State Doing On Virus Testing?
 

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Clare Schneider/NPR

Resilience Tips From Survivors Of Past Storms

When everything feels off-kilter or dire, take a minute to reflect on what’s still good, as well as bad, advises Robyn Walery, who lost her family home to wildfire some years back.

Keeping a daily journal when you’re in free fall may seem impossible she says – no sweat. Try jotting down just one line about how you’re feeling. It’s the daily pause that steadies her nerves.

NPR’s Sarah McCammon recently checked in with Walery and others who have weathered periods of deep uncertainty, to see what helped them get through – and what didn’t. (“Don’t should on yourself,” Walery advises. Everybody’s improvising right now, and just getting through the muddle is enough some days.)

Read on for more help in getting safely to the other side.

BONUS: 'The Hilarious World Of Depression' Deepens Therapy Insights With Humor

The serious inflammatory syndrome sending some children and teens to the hospital remains extremely uncommon, doctors say. But if your child spikes a high, persistent fever, and has severe abdominal pain with vomiting that doesn't make them feel better, call your doctor as a precaution.
Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Mystery Inflammatory Syndrome Hits Kids And Teens

Doctors in the U.S. and Europe are reporting a small wave of cases of what looks like a "shock syndrome" in young people, who are showing up in hospitals with low blood pressure, inflamed hearts and other serious symptoms. The condition seams related to infection with the novel coronavirus, and may involve an immune response to the virus.

Parents shouldn’t panic, pediatricians say – this inflammatory syndrome seems to be rare. Still, doctors urge calling your pediatrician if your child develops a persistent high fever, or has significant abdominal pain and vomits repeatedly without feeling better afterward. Many of these kids also have a rash.

Read on to learn more about the signs of Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome and how doctors are treating it.

More of this week's health stories from NPR

From Loss Of Smell To COVID Toes: What Experts Say Now About Symptoms

FAQ: Do Office Or Airport Fever Screenings Really Help Stop Transmission?

Joy From The Front: Intercom Anthems Sing Recovering Patients Home
 
We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth.

Your Shots editor,
Deborah Franklin
 
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