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NEWS:
COVID-19: What You Need to Know About Antibody Testing
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpasses 800,000, many Americans want to know if recovered patients have immunity to the novel coronavirus.
The answer could come from an antibody test.
Antibody tests measure the number of antibodies – proteins made by plasma cells – in the blood. The body's immune system uses antibodies to neutralize pathogens such as viruses and bacteria.
While these tests are commonly used to tell if someone is immune to diseases such as measles or chickenpox, they're not yet widely available for COVID-19. But it's not clear what the results would mean, said infectious disease specialist Rekha Murthy, MD, vice president of Medical Affairs and associate chief medical officer at Cedars-Sinai.
"We have the expectation that a positive antibody test can be associated with protection against future infections. But since this pandemic has evolved so quickly,
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Ortho Launches Second COVID-19 Antibody Test With 100% Specificity
Ortho's Total and IgG COVID-19 Antibody Tests Will Aid in Responsible Back-to-Work Assessment
- Ortho receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its second COVID-19 antibody test
- Similar to Ortho's total COVID-19 antibody test, Ortho's IgG test demonstrated 100% specificity and can be used to support decisions for getting people back to work
- Ortho has already begun shipping its antibody test to customers in highly impacted geographies and plans to manufacture several million COVID-19 antibody tests each month
- Both tests can run on Ortho's VITROS® platform, already installed in more than 1,000 hospitals and labs across the U.S.
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a global leader of in vitro diagnostics with a rich history of bringing critical tests for infectious diseases to market, introduced and announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorizat
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Ohio State’s Mehta Leads AHA Statement On Cardiovascular Disease In Pregnancy
A new statement issued by the American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of taking a multidisciplinary approach to the management of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy and outlines heart care before, during and after pregnancy.
Dr. Laxmi Mehta, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, chaired the statement, which described how cardio-obstetrics has become an important team in managing heart-related problems during pregnancy. The number of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States has more than doubled over the last two decades and the main cause is cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. Pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure have contributed to the increased rate of death as well as advanced maternal age, which is associated with pre-term birth, preeclampsia and chronic hypertension.
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New American Academy of Dermatology Survey Finds Most Americans Know Sun Protection is Important, Yet Many Aren't Protecting Themselves
In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, dermatologists remind the public to #PracticeSafeSun to reduce their risk of skin cancer
As more Americans head outdoors for warmer weather and fresh air amid “shelter-in-place” measures, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology have an important reminder: practice safe sun. Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, but new data from the AAD shows that many Americans aren’t taking the necessary steps to protect themselves.
According to a recent AAD survey, 76% of Americans agree that sun protection is an important healthy habit, yet only 41% report regularly protecting themselves outdoors — increasing their risk for skin cancer. While exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, the survey also revealed that 28% of Americans admit they rarel
