Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it's going to take to get to that point.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have read many conflicting things about COVID-19, including how it spreads from person to person and how I might be able to reduce my risk of getting sick. Can you help me understand whether some things I've heard are myth or fact because I do not want to spread the virus or get sick?
Many people who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms, but for others those symptoms may be severe and lead to hospitalization. Some of the most common complications from severe COVID-19 include respiratory problems like pneumonia, hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
A new serology test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories is being used to identify the presence of immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The serology test is intended only to detect antibodies to the virus. It does not diagnose recent or active infection. Mayo Clinic Laboratories also offers a molecular test to diagnose very recent or active infection. Both tests are important tools in the pandemic response.