Well, there Are several ways to test for coronavirus positive . mostly they Are either molecular or serological tests.

Molecular tests can be done to look For signs of an active infection.

This is done by usually Taking a sample from back of your throat with cotton swab. The next is by sending it to lab for testing.

The sample will undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. This type of test detects signs of the virus’s genetic material.

A PCR test can confirm a diagnosis of COVID-19 if it identifies two specific SARS-CoV-2 genes. If it identifies only one of these genes, it will produce an inconclusive result.

Molecular test can only identify if a person is diagnosed with covid-19, they cannot tell whether someone has had this in past or recovered after that and again infected.

SEROLOGICAL TEST

Serological Tests are particularly useful for detecting cases of infection without Mild and no syptoms.

This test identifies the antibodies which our body produces to fight this virus. Basically a person who has recoverd from coronavirus generally develop/Present with antibodies.

The antibody is present in blood and tissue through the body. A serological test requires a blood sample.

Where can you get tests?

There are different options for testing.

Public test

It is important to note that these tests are currently limited to people in danger of serious illness. Those at risk include:

• people with severe symptoms
• people with underlying health conditions
• pregnant women
• older adults

Home tests

On April 21, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the first COVID-19 home testing kit. Using the cotton swab provided, people will be able to collect a nasal sample and mail it to a designated laboratory for testing.

But, the emergency use authorization Specifies that these test kits are authorized for use by healthcare professionals only having suspect of covid19.

Are these results accurate?

COVID-19 tests are new and there is a challenge in the accuracy.

PCR tests may produce false result for Sars-Cov-2.

Generally false negative results are due to mishandling by human resource by following wrong procedure, giving test too early or late this can lead a false result.

When should you get tested?

Anyone with the following symptoms should contact a healthcare provider:

• a cough
• shortness of breath
• a fever

Please keep in mind these tests are in short supply and are only available for those people who are at a risk of severe illness. Only a doctor can testify wheather the symptoms needs to to be taken further for test.

REMEMBER

Most people who develop COVID-19 have a relatively mild form of the disease, which does not require specialist treatment in a hospital.

Mild symptoms may include a fever, a cough, a sore throat, tiredness, and shortness of breath, which may last 1–2 weeks.

Other people who have the infection may experience no symptoms.

For some people, COVID-19 is a severe illness. The risk is higher for people who are older or who have chronic health conditions, such as diabetes.

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This was the situation where this population of asian Americans were going through during this period of pandemic. Later on, the CDC or the centre for disease control completely reversed this situation when they revised the guidelines and announced that people should wear a cloth face covering while leaving their house or going out in the open. This helped the Chinese community to feel a lot more secure to wear a face mask while going out.

With the exponential spreading of the virus in china the government worked effectively in enforcing the law of wearing a mask in all public places with the aim of lowering the person to person transmission rates. However, unlike china in USA the CDC mentioned that it was not needed for healthy people to wear cloth face coverings or masks since the experts said that they cannot prevent the inhaling of the airborne spreading of the virus particles. Although later on the director of national institute of allergy and infectious diseases admitted that this was said keeping in mind the shortage of PPE equipment. The emphasis has always been to protect the healthy people from the affected sick population.

The medical protocol is considered to have an unbiased view and represents only the universal truth of the world which in any case cannot be separated from politics and culture. A professor form chapman university tells us that the health beahaviours are a result of the norms that is imposed by a culture and their values. she also goes on to say that the response of the public in case of health regulations points towards a pattern which has already been set in place.

In case of the asian population everyone has always been used to wearing face masks while stepping out of the house to go out. In such a case not a single person has been said to be the carrier and the responsibility for the ending of this outbreak is shared communally. People are also concerned because sometimes you may not even know that you are a carrier so it is always safe to wear a face mask as a precautionary measure.

Asia alone has been the subject of various different types of pandemic for a duration of over 20 years. However sadly, many western nations lack type of collective memory where they were subjected to this type of a situation. The last pandemic that the US remembers was the Spanish flu in 1918 during which a world wide mask wearing effort was made and even made mandatory in some places.

Usage of masks in large scale was a preventive measure that can be seen reemerging in Asia as a result of the SARS pandemic during the years 2002-2003. A massive chunk of the Chinese population was strictly quarantined and the government had also effectively set up several checkpoints for temperature of the people in schools and other various public areas however most of the public areas were shut down for service. according to official sources this pandemic had resulted in 5,300 people being affected with 249 deaths.

People belonging to this Chinese community gathered many stories during the early stages of this worldwide pandemic during its early breakout stages. This was done via the Chinese social media and various such news platforms. According to them face masks played a vital role in curbing this outbreak. Keeping in mind that the virus is transferred in the form of droplets and can be entered through eyes, nose or mouth, wearing a face mask seemed like the perfect preventive measure.

However even after knowing this, the asian community of people were very hesitant in wearing it while going out in public spaces since people had started associating asian faces with crona virus which was very offensive.

Another study in the university of san Francisco state observed that over 1,000 cases that were reported between jan 28^th and feb 24^th mainly stemmed from xenophobia and intense racism towards asian Americans. This was the time when the first Covid 19 case was reported in America. After the president of USA Donald trump referred to this virus as wuhan / Chinese virus the harassment of anti asian nature has been reported.

The main reason behind this intense xenophobia is not just the fact that the roots f this virus can be traced back to china but also because of the centuries of disease framing by European nations which are rooted in long standing sentiment of anti asian feeling. However once this new and revised regulation by CDC was announced, the aisan population in America were especially thrilled and happy since it would mean that the wearing of face mask is now normalized.

While some Asians believe that the usage of masks will normalize things for them and put an end to xenophobia whereas on the other hand people also believe that it won’t suddenly end the anti – asian feeling. According to them this anti sentiments towards especially the asian population is a form of adherence to the cultural and social value system.

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As a result of these intense deliberations and brain storming they have come up with a variety of quirky and somewhat futuristic solutions, however several of them can prove to be practically helpful in the long run. Given below are a couple of projects from the above mentioned project:

The sterilizing lamp

This lamp is unlike any other ordinary lamp that you may have seen anywhere. Chou’s studio is responsible for coming up with a chic looking mushroom shaped device that showcases a combination of reflective tray and a simple sterilizing lamp. It can be used to sanitize various items that hold within themselves massive amounts of undetected external pollutants. The reason behind this unique invention is the fact that chou wanted to create something that would fit seamlessly into everyone’s lifestyle and habits. The idea behind it as chou explains is that when people get back home from outside they will directly place their phones, wallets and car keys on the tray of the lamp and press it down which will activate the internally placed ultra violet light. After 60 seconds the cover of this mushroom shaped sterilizing device will pop up on their own and will leave every item properly sterilized. An internal 360 irradiation system makes sure that no spot is left unsterilized during this process.

Exprask

In the regions of Europe and north America face masks are not a common accessory that people wear or even feel comfortable wearing due to many reasons. They don’t feel that it is a necessary part of their daily life. Chinese designer called zhang junjie has worked towards breaking this stigma attached to face masks in this desperate hour of need. He is responsible for inventing the first transparent mask which is made out of thermoplastic and enables people to see their expressions hence eliminating the stigma. His primary aim is to lighten the mood of the general population in this grim and serious atmosphere.

Handy capsule

This product by kiran zhu from hong kong is not just quirky to look at but it also serves the purpose of being an economical carry on sanitization option that anyone could carry easily in their bags and backpacks. This capsule shaped kit consists of a disposable mask, hand sanitizer, a thermometer and alcohol soaked wet wipes. This kit looks very sleek, cute and quirky which is made out of aluminium material and also consists of an embedded magnetic suction which helps in opening and closing of the kit. The best part is that this kit comes in different colours. The size of this kit is very pleasing which is compact and can be easily carried in a bag, purse or even hung outside the backpack.

Time changing hand sanitizer

Yes! You heard that right. According to the guidelines given out by WHO washing hands repeatedly for a minimum of 20 seconds is probably the most emphasized. However, not everyone can wash their hands repeatedly and properly since not everyone knows the proper way of washing their hands. Frank Chou has collaborated with the studio of pinno wang for this creation of the unique color changing sanitizer that offers a visual stimulus which ensures a proper application of this product.

The way this sanitizer works is unlike any other product where the substance reacts with oxygen and changes its color from pink to blue over a duration of 30 seconds. This is a very innovative idea to ensure that people apply sanitizer thoroughly.

Safety capsule

Now that the whole world is spending time and working from home during the quarantine and self isolation period, there are numerous essential workers who are required to go everyday to work and are cannot observe quarantine. The benwu design studio is focused primarily towards experimentation with different materials and have successfully invented a DIY (do it yourself) safety capsule as working and eating stations. This station can be created out of the materials that can be found easily in any local shop.

It also has a filtration system that purifies the air inside and can be considered to be as safe as wearing a mask. All you have to do is place this capsule in your work station and put your face and wrists inside through the slits / holes given for this purpose that can also be tightened with the help of elastic cuffs. There is also a UV light present within this capsule which sterilizes the interiors of this capsule.

Be a batman

This innovation is especially made for people residing in heavily populated regions where social distancing is difficult. To solve this issue sun dayong has designed a wearable device which creates an isolation atmosphere for people going outdoors. This device is foldable in nature and replicates a pod-like design which looks like it has been devised from the biotype of a bat.

Other innovative ideas from Chou’s studio has been emerging consistently including the laptop stand which is combined with extra set of UV lighting promising a sterilized keyboard, an elbow handkerchief which is created out of a single sock and a badge that very politely asks people to not shake hands. Although most of these designs seems far-fetched and extra futuristic chou honestly believes that most of these items mentioned above will eventually play a significant rile in the daily life of people.

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At least 557,300 cases of the virus have been reported in the US, with New York alone reporting 190,288, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tallY.

All 50 states are under a federal disaster declaration for the first time in US history. There are now more than 29,000 members of the National Guard on duty across the country to deal with the response to the pandemic, according to a tweet from the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Guardsmen have been called to serve a variety of roles in different states, from staffing emergency operations centers to restocking grocery shelves.

The latest numbers come as Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that some lives would have been saved if coronavirus mitigation efforts had been instituted earlier. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CNN that he and other federal health officials were recommending mitigation efforts like social distancing as early as mid-February.

“Obviously you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives,” Fauci said. “If we had right from the very beginning shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different. But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then.

“Globally, at least 1,850,220 cases of the Covid-19 and more than 114,000 deaths have now been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Weather adds to social distancing stress

As millions of Americans worried about stay-at-home orders and social distancing on Sunday, about 95 million people in nearly 20 states experienced severe weather and will see more of it Monday.

A majority of the storms were across the South and East Coast, according to the National Weather Service, with tornado watches issued across areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

At least eight deaths were reported.Emergency officials said Sunday people sheltering from tornadoes and protecting themselves from severe weather take priority over the social distancing guidelines Americans are adhering to during the coronavirus pandemic.The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency emphasized in a tweet that people should continue social distancing practices if they go to a public shelter.

“Have a safe place to go. If you go to a public shelter please wear a mask, bandana, or scarf around your nose and mouth. Practice social distancing,” the agency’s tweet read.

FDA outlines new plan to clean N95 respirators

For the third time in the span of two weeks, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized yet another decontamination system for N95 respirators.

Shortages of N95 masks and other medical supplies have plagued hospitals across the nation as they continue to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The FDA’s announcement Sunday outlined a plan to decontaminate the respirators through a company called Advanced Sterilization Products, which could allow for the decontamination of approximately 4 million N95 respirators per day.

“This authorization will help provide access to millions of respirators so our health care workers on the front lines can be better protected and provide the best care to patients with Covid-19,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in a news release.

The company would use a system called the STERRAD Sterilization System that uses “vaporized hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilization,” according to the agency.

More than 6,300 hospitals in the US already have the system installed, according to the FDA, and each system can reprocess approximately 480 respirators per day.The system is limited to “a maximum of 2 decontamination cycles per respirator,” according to the FDA letter authorizing its use.

New York state and local government square off on school closures

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo were at odds over the weekend about the status of school closures.

De Blasio announced Saturday that public schools in the city would remain closed for the rest of the academic year. A few hours later, Cuomo said no decision had been made yet.Speaking about his relationship with de Blasio, Cuomo said Sunday he understood the mayor’s stance and that it’s “not an unreasonable position.

He added that unlike de Blasio, he has to worry about other counties and neighboring states when making decisions and said coordination with Connecticut and New Jersey would be optimal.

“We won’t open schools one minute sooner than they should be open, but we won’t open schools one minute later than they should be open either,” Cuomo said. “Whatever plan we come up with will be driven by data and science.

“Cuomo explained it is important to open business at the same time as schools because schools act in part as childcare so parents can go to work. He added opening both at the same time is also critical for restarting the economy.

“If you say the schools are closed through June, you are effectively saying businesses are closed through June because you can’t — restart the economy fully without restarting schools,” Cuomo said.De Blasio also mandated that beginning Monday, all city workers who come in contact with the public while on duty are to wear face coverings.

Easter Sunday celebrated via social distancing

Many churches marked Easter Sunday in a way that honored social distancing efforts, like streaming services online or holding worship at drive-in theaters, congregants huddled in their cars.

But some gathered anyway, putting public health restrictions on a collision course with religious institutions.

Idaho rancher Ammon Bundy, who once led an armed occupation of federal land in Oregon, was one of those who organized an Easter Sunday church service in violation of a statewide order on mass gatherings.

A livestream of the service showed dozens of people in folding chairs sitting together in Bundy’s industrial warehouse in the small city of Emmett, about 30 miles northwest of Boise, where a handmade sign reading “Defy Martial Law” was placed in front of the speaker’s podium.After the group watched a pre-recorded praise video, Bundy briefly addressed the group, saying, “When you believe in Christ … you will never infringe upon your neighbor’s rights.

“There were no signs on the livestream of anyone attempting to challenge or interrupt the service. Wayne Hoffman with the conservative Idaho Freedom Foundation — a group that has called the ban on gatherings unconstitutional — also was invited to speak.

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The Coronavirus crisis will probably change the way we travel.

No one really knows what vacation might look like after all this is over, but there are some things we can learn from past crises.

Here’s a couple of short tips on how to plan for your trip during the quarantine for when all this is over. Just keep reading.

7. Prepare multiple destination options

Start with creating a travel bucket list and choose multiple destinations based on your preferences. Watch YouTube videos, read blogs, watch documentaries on the possible destination you want to visit.

When you’re making the list, make them based on factors such as How healthy/risky the country you are planning to visit is: Keep on checking the WHO website, the Coronavirus Tracker, and Coronavirus Live Updates, see which countries have the best preventive measures, etc.

Choose destinations based on how crowded the place is—places such as nature, less crowded towns, and cities, etc. A visit to a National Park or a historical site would be such examples.

Check if there is enough medical infrastructure in place in the region you are traveling to in case you get sick while you’re there.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT travel during the pandemic. Stay home during this COVID-19 crisis, practice social distancing, wash your hands, listen to the authorities and save lives! And don’t worry, there will be time to travel again.

6. Book your trip with possible cancellation options

Book your accommodation so that you can easily cancel, to eliminate unnecessary cancellation fees. Always look at what the cancellation policy for your accommodation, ride, or flight is. It might not always be easy to find the information about cancellation conditions, so take some time and read the fine print.

You can even consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance.

You might want to watch for the best value and not necessarily the lowest prices. After the past crises, many hotels offered a great price-quality ratio and packages for tourists to get them traveling again.

But be careful when booking, especially with unknown operators. Watch for scams. If you choose a with well-known brands such as hotels, booking providers, or airlines, chances for them to go bankrupt are lower.

Also, don’t forget to get the right travel health insurance.

5. Plan to travel closer to your home

Plan shorter trips so you can easily reach back home. You can even take several shorter trips more often instead of making one big trip. So instead take advantage of long weekends and holidays.

Plan to travel to neighboring states or countries only so you’re always able to come home fast by car or a short flight at most.

4. Don’t plan way ahead

Why is it not so good to plan that far ahead?

Maybe in the summer, all this is all over and then in the fall might hit hard again as SARS did since nobody knows what will happen.

That’s why it’s great to have several options ready, including several possible dates.

3. Stay healthy

You need to be strong and healthy for your next travel – eat healthily, take vitamins, drink enough, sleep well, exercise, and practice mental strength.

2. Take precautions while traveling

After this is over, here’s what you can do to stay safe and healthy during your travels:

• Always wash your hands properly every time you have a chance to, for example, after using a toilet – but be careful not to touch the doors after you leave the restroom, etc.
• Bring hand sanitizers and wipes – use them every time you touch something, for example, right after touching handrails, doors, surfaces on the metro, elevator buttons, before you eat outside, etc. Remember that a lot of people have just touched that elevator button right before you and viruses can stay on the surface for days, if not more.
• Use wipes to sanitize surfaces you are about to use.
• Don’t touch your face. One of the main ways the virus spreads is when you touch your nose, eyes, or mouth.
• Use tissues or your sleeve when cough and wear a mask, especially indoors, and when you’re close to other people.
• Don’t sit down while using the metro and try to use the metro without holding at all – as some locals do. But be careful – we don’t want you to fall.
• Eat at the restaurants, fast food joints, and food centers that have good reviews. Chances are they will be cleaner.
• Stay healthy: Eat well, drink enough water, take vitamins also during travel, get enough sleep, etc.
• Know what the emergency number is for your destination and know how to call if something goes wrong. Preferably someone who can assist you if you need help or feel unwell.

1. Don’t rush into taking your first vacation

Wait until the authorities say it’s safe to go and then revisit your travel plan. If you’ve made a long enough list, with many options, you’ll probably find a great place to visit.

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(CNN) – Beijing is facing a diplomatic crisis in Africa after reports of alleged coronavirus-related discrimination against African nationals in China sparked widespread anger across the continent.

African students and expatriates in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou were last week subject to forced coronavirus testing and arbitrary 14-day self-quarantine, regardless of recent travel history, amid heightened fears of imported infections.

Large numbers of African nationals were also left homeless, after being evicted by landlords and rejected by hotels in the city.

Having reportedly contained the virus within China, concerns have grown in recent weeks over a so-called second wave, brought into the country by overseas travelers.

In Africa, however, governments, media outlets and citizens reacted angrily to the apparent rise in anti-foreigner sentiment, as videos of Africans being harassed by police, sleeping on the streets or being locked into their homes under quarantine circulated online.

On Saturday, the front page of Kenya’s biggest newspaper lead with the headline, “Kenyans in China: Rescue us from hell,” as a member of the country’s parliament called for Chinese nationals to leave Kenya immediately. TV stations in Uganda, South Africa and Nigeria also ran stories on the alleged mistreatment.

The fallout threatens to undermine China’s diplomatic efforts in Africa. In recent years, African nations have become key diplomatic and trade partners to Beijing, with China’s trade with Africa worth $208 billion in 2019, according to official figures from China’s General Administration of Customs.In a statement released Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian denied China had been singling out foreigners.

“We are still facing great risks of imported cases and domestic resurgence. Particularly, as the pandemic spreads all over the world, imported cases are causing mounting pressure,” said Zhao.”All foreigners are treated equally. We reject differential treatment, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination,” he added.

A breakdown in relations

African countries are often characterized as being the weaker partner in bilateral relations with Beijing, with US officials repeatedly warning nations to be wary of so-called Chinese debt trap diplomacy,in which countries are forced to hand over key assets to service loans they can’t make repayments on impairing their sovereignty.

But in recent days, African governments have been quick to demand answers from Beijing on the treatment of their citizens.

On Saturday, Nigerian lawmaker Oloye Akin Alabi posted a video on Twitter of the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, being grilled by a Nigerian politician over the mistreatment of Africans in Guangzhou.During the exchange, Zhou is made to watch videos of Africans allegedly being mistreated in China. Oloye accompanied the video with the message that his government would “not tolerate maltreatment of Nigerians in China.”The governments of Uganda and Ghana also reportedly summoned their respective Chinese ambassadors over what the Ghanaians called “the inhumane treatment being meted out.

“On Saturday, in perhaps the most serious sign of continent-wide discontent, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, tweeted that he had invited the Chinese ambassador to the AU to personally discuss the allegations of mistreatment.

The Chinese reaction

On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to the crisis, promising that provincial authorities would attach “great importance” to the concerns of some African countries and work to improve quarantine measures, including providing special accommodation for foreigners required to undergo medical observation.

However, echoing city officials in Guangzhou, Zhao did not address specific accusations that authorities had enforced a policy of mandatory testing and a 14-day quarantine on all Africans, even when they had not left China in recent months; had not been in contact with a known Covid-19 patient; had just completed a 14-day isolation; or had certificates to show they were virus-free.

Chinese state media had previously reported that five Nigerians tested had positive for the virus in Guangzhou.

Local police said on Sunday that all foreigners must strictly abide by Chinese laws and those who refuse to show identification when requested by police would face punishment. Suspicions abound that many Africans are overstaying their visas in Guangzhou, where officials said they counted 4,553 Africans legally living in the city as of last week.

On Sunday, the state-owned Global Times broke its silence on the continued diplomatic fallout, writing that “viral reports in Western media alleging Africans are being discriminated against and badly treated in the city” were “used by some Western media to provoke the problems between China and African countries.”

People to people relations

By the end of the weekend, most of the displaced Africans in Guangzhou, mainly traders and students who make up China’s largest African population, had found shelter, according to people CNN spoke to in the city.

Armies of volunteers who had assembled on WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, had rallied to connect Africans with landlords and hotels who would still accept foreigners.

Others had been rounded up by local authorities and taken into quarantine at government-assigned hotels, according to Africans and volunteers who spoke to CNN.

“They (the authorities) just don’t want them on the street,” said one volunteer, who asked not to be named for fear of government reprisals.

Shen Shiwei, a non-resident fellow at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, said people-to-people relations were a linchpin of China’s relationship with Africa, and needed to be protected.

Shen called on Chinese officials to improve communication with the African diaspora in Guangzhou, suggesting signs in English and local languages to help explain decisions in policing. “I think there are two sides to every story,” he said.

Hannah Ryder, a British-Kenyan who used to work for the United Nations in China and is now CEO of a Kenyan owned company in Beijing, said these types of incidents can have a massive impact on how people in Africa view China.

“If they are not handled properly they can result in far larger consequences than people sleeping on the street. They can have repercussions on international relations, trade and even diplomacy,” said Ryder.

“As China has been the first to deal with and recover from Covid-19 the world can learn a lot from China’s experience,” she said.”I hope that when it comes to virus-related xenophobia, China can show leadership on the best way to tackle it and be an example the world can follow.”

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