8 - Fun with COVID-19 Antibodies!

Fomites! Droplets! Aerosols! B-Cells! T-Cells! Vaccines! The only thing that's missing from this episode is a big yellow school bus! In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Preeyam Patel, an immunologist, to talk about what happens inside our immune system after a COVID-19 infection. Not only that, but Dr. Patel highlights some of the most interesting contemporary studies of the day and catches me up on all things vaccine development. For a full run-down, look no further than this Amazing Sources Cited Document! For those who do not see a link, try a different directory. Today's topics include: - Dr. Patel had COVID in New York City, and was told it was "just the flu." - Symptoms were still coming out, and testing for antibodies was given emergency approval (but over 100 tests are no good! Check your results!) - Why W.H.O. may be looking the other way on potential "aerosol" transmission of Coronavirus statistics. - What are antibodies, how long do they last, and what is their purpose? - What's the correlation between antibodies and reinfection? Between viral load exposure and severity of COVID? - What's the difference between local immunity and systemic immunity? - How are vaccines made and why do people need them more than once? - What about the so-called "long-haulers" who experience COVID symptoms for 100+ days? - Why the concept of 'herd immunity' is not something to strive for or relax about. The information contained on this episode is accurate as of August 31, 2020. Once again, see our sources cited document for links to all the relevant studies, and otherwise, enjoy this somehow-fun-to-listen-to info-dump on SCIENCE.