An Interesting and Informative Experience!
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| Punta Mita Hospital Emergency Room |
Near the end of February, before the COVID-19 pandemic had been announced to the world, I caught a cold. It started with a
slight sore throat and a runny nose, like any winter cold. It’s always seemed
strange to me that, even living in warm, sunny México, I usually catch a cold
about once a year.
As soon as I noticed the sore throat, I
took some Emergen-C and a Cold-Eeze lozenge. It was
especially frustrating because we had been so careful when we flew down to
Puerto Vallarta from Tucson in mid-February. Sitting on a plane full of people
for five hours is a sure way to pick up a bug, so we took Emergen-C three times on the day we traveled to try to prevent getting sick. This was in addition to the 2000mg of vitamin C and other vitamins we take daily. But I guess we should
have taken Emergen-C for two or three days to build up our immune system.
Then the cough started. The intense chills
lasted a full day. I took ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the aches and headaches. The cough
intensified until Vicks Formula 44 syrup had little effect. I resorted to using
a Ventolin inhaler every four hours for the cough, which worked better and
eased my breathing. Bed rest, Vitamin C, and zinc helped me heal.
Jon, my husband, caught my cold a week
later. His case wasn’t as severe but the symptoms were similar, minus the
chills. Though most symptoms disappeared in less than a week, my cough lasted
for three or four weeks.
Remember, the coronavirus infections
had not been labeled a COVID-19 pandemic at that point.
Three months later, as we educated ourselves
with reliable COVID-19 pandemic information, I began to wonder if we had already
had the dreaded infection back in February and March. Could we have acquired SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
and possible protection from the
virus? We continued to be cautious when out in public to avoid contracting or spreading this
virus, but hopeful that we were carrying protective antibodies in our blood.
We recently learned that the antibody
test is available in the area where we live, Nayarit, México. We deliberated about whether
it was worth it to go to a hospital and have the test administered. After all, if
we didn’t carry the antibodies in our blood, a hospital is a risky place to go—we
might contract the virus while at the emergency room having the test done. We
decided to do it.
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| SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test Package at Punta Mita |
Two hospitals near our home
offer the SARS-CoV-2 Antibody test, St. Luke’s in Sayulita and Punta Mita
Hospital. We decided to go to Punta Mita because it was significantly less expensive,
has good reviews, and we could turn the afternoon into an adventure in the town
of Punta Mita with lunch on the beach.
I made an appointment over the phone for
Jon and me to both have the test done. I spoke with Dr. Franco and made it very clear that we wanted the antibody
test, meaning we had already had COVID-19 months ago, not the test for the virus. He assured me that they had the serology antibody test. The price was quoted as $116 U.S. dollars or 2297 Mx pesos for each test,
including a 16% tax. We were told to come to the emergency room reception area when
we arrived where they only allowed one person at a time. All people with respiratory
symptoms that could be active COVID-19 infections entered a different part of the hospital.
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| Punta Mita Hospital Reception Sign |
We masked up and entered the emergency
room reception area. They allowed Jon and me to come in together but others
were asked to wait outside. After the technician tested our blood oxygen level,
blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and asked if we had any symptoms of COVID-19,
we were declared healthy and could proceed with the test.
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| Jon Having His Finger Pricked to Draw Blood for the Test |
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| Jon's Blood is in the Well, Serum Wicking Up the Test |
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| Jon's Test Shows Negative for COVID-19 Antibodies |
We were impressed with the staff, the
procedures, and the facilities at Punta Mita Hospital. The technician explained
that Jon’s serology test results for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibodies
was negative because the line stopped at the “C” on the stick, meaning he has
not had the COVID-19 infection in the past.
If a line appears at the M, it
indicates the person has IgM antibodies. If a line appears at the G, it
indicates the person has IgG antibodies. From my reading, I have learned that
if a person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, meaning they have had the
COVID-19 infection at least two weeks previously, giving the body time to
produce both of these antibodies, a line will appear at the G and the M.
My SARS-CoV-2 serology test was negative
for antibodies also.
As we left the hospital, I told Jon I
was disappointed. I had felt sure that we had Covid-19 back in late February
and early March. I had been hopeful that we had developed antibodies against the virus
and, therefore, most likely had protection against getting it again. Jon agreed
with me. He was discouraged, too.
It’s possible that the test results
were false negatives, meaning the tests themselves were faulty. I have read
that not all SARS-CoV-2 Antibody tests are created equal and many have been
found to give false readings. But we will trust the results. We will assume we
do not carry any protective antibodies in our blood. We will continue to be
extra careful when we are in public, washing our hands often and distancing
ourselves from others. We still plan to live our lives as close to normal as
possible while avoiding the risk of spreading the virus. We will still dine out
at reputable restaurants, enjoying life every day. We believe living in fear is
unhealthy.
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| Entrance to La Pescadora Restaurant in Punta Mita |
We walked the half-mile from the
hospital to “restaurant row” on the beach in Punta Mita and had a wonderful
meal at La Pescadora where the staff followed all precautionary steps to
keep us safe from the dreaded virus. We enjoyed the cool ocean breeze on that
hot afternoon, the view of the sea, and the entertaining wind-surfer getting a
wild ride in the strong wind, as we were on the fringe of Tropical Storm
Cristina.
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| The Bay View from La Pescadora Restaurant in Punta Mita |
Thank you for reading my books and blog articles. If you are interested in reading more about Serology Testing for COVID-19 from the CDC here's the link
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/serology-testing.html
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