Diagnostic Testing for COVID-19

06/05/20 • 24 min

As the country prepares to reopen, rapid and effective testing remains “the need of the hour.” In this episode, Dr. Pai discusses diagnostic testing for COVID-19, including which populations to prioritize for testing, available modalities and new options.

Overview of symptoms 1:05

A look at testing modalities 3:34

Saliva samples for COVID-19 11:19

Antibody testing 13:03

Antigen testing 21:48

Nothing can replace clinical judgment 24:20

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to [email protected]. Be sure to check Healio.com/coronavirus for daily updates on the pandemic and follow us on Twitter @InfectDisNews and @GoHealio.

Disclosures: Pai reports serving on the advisory boards of Abbvie and Gilead Sciences.

Overview of symptoms 1:05

A look at testing modalities 3:34

Saliva samples for COVID-19 11:19

Antibody testing 13:03

Antigen testing 21:48

Nothing can replace clinical judgment 24:20

Disclosures: Pai reports serving on the advisory boards of Abbvie and Gilead Sciences.

Previous Episode

HIV in COVID-19

In this episode, Dr. Pai answers questions specific to HIV in the context of COVID-19, including parallels between the two pandemics, repercussions of COVID-19 on patients with HIV and guidance for handling potential changes to antiretroviral regimens.

Questions:

From Peter Chin-Hong, MD, at the University of California, San Francisco:

"What are the parallels between the HIV and COVID-19 epidemic?"

"What lessons can we learn from the early response to HIV that can inform how we approach COVID-19?"

"Are HIV patients with COVID-19 doing worse? What information do we have?"

"What repercussions of COVID-19 will HIV patients have (mental illness, etc.)?"

From Jennifer Ross, PharmD, at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy:

"Many antiretroviral agents (e.g., l lopinavir/ritonavir, boosted darunavir), are being evaluated in clinical trials or are prescribed for off-label use for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. What additional considerations should be made when proposing a change in a patient’s antiretroviral regimen in the midst of COVID-19?"

Disclosures: Pai reports serving on the advisory boards of Abbvie and Gilead Sciences.

Next Episode

Treatment Options for COVID-19

Research and data on potential treatment modalities continue to emerge at a rapid pace. This episode explores the IDSA and NIH guidelines for the treatment and management of COVID-19, as well as available evidence on antivirals, glucocorticoids and antibodies.

Intro :08
Recap on spectrum of disease 1:53
Treatment goals: 3 broad approaches 4:07
Disease pathogenesis 5:45
Remdesivir 7:58
Dexamethasone 17:18
Convalescent plasma 34:26
Words from JFK 40:20

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Dr. Pai at [email protected]. Be sure to check Healio.com/coronavirus for daily updates on the pandemic and follow us on Twitter @InfectDisNews and @GoHealio.

Disclosures: Pai reports serving on the advisory boards of Abbvie and Gilead Sciences.