As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, efforts are underway to find a new normal and begin to reopen the country and the economy. While people are eager for strict social distancing rules to end, public health measures, including testing and tracing for the virus, will be important tools needed to control the spread of the virus and prevent an uptick in new infections.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, discusses the steps needed to reopen businesses, schools and other activities as the fight to control COVID-19 continues.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

A new serology test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories  is being used to identify the presence of immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The serology test is intended only to detect antibodies to the virus. It does not diagnose recent or active infection. Mayo Clinic Laboratories also offers a molecular test to diagnose very recent or active infection. Both tests are important tools in the pandemic response.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Elitza Theel, director of Mayo Clinic’s Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory, explains why serology testing is initially focused on identifying people in areas where potential immunity is key, including front-line health care workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to daily life, and disrupted normal routines at work, at school, and at home. Physical isolation can negatively affect mental health, and constant news coverage can bring fear and anxiety about the disease. How can you best cope in these uncertain times?

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Craig Sawchuk, chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health at Mayo Clinic, shares helpful tips and strategies on managing stress and anxiety during the pandemic.

Contact tracing is a used to slow community spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Contact tracing is the process of finding and reaching out to the people who have been in contact with an infected person. Then close contacts of a person who might have COVID-19 can be isolated or quarantined to lessen further spread of the virus.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, explains contact tracing and discusses other current news related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

An intensive care unit (ICU) is a special unit in a hospital where patients who are very ill can be under constant supervision by their health care team. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed ICU and critical care units in hot spots where the virus had spread widely.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Brown, director of critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic, discusses critical care medicine and COVID-19.

There are two types of tests for COVID-19, and it is important to understand the difference. The first type, a diagnostic test, is used to find out if you are actively infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. This test typically is done as a nasal swab. The second type of test is a serologic test to determine if you had a recent infection of SARS-CoV-2 and now have antibodies against the virus. This test is done through a blood sample.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, explains the need for two different tests and how they will help move recovery from the pandemic forward.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

Emergency medicine is a specialty that prides itself on a mantra: anyone, anything, anytime. The COVID-19 pandemic has put emergency health care providers and first responders on the front lines, fighting the spread of the virus and caring for critically ill patients.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician, discusses when patients should come to the emergency room, how to safely care for people with COVID-19, and how teams at Mayo Clinic are collaborating during the pandemic.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Because SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus, researchers are still learning how the virus affects the body. And this raises questions for pregnant women. Can COVID-19 affect pregnancy? Is breastfeeding safe? How can a pregnant woman protect herself from the disease?

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, will discuss COVID-19 and pregnancy.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Poland discusses why the U.S. has reached its deadliest week during the pandemic, and how clinical trials and vaccine research are underway to prevent future outbreaks.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

A study published recently in Mayo Clinic Proceedings details information about potential cardiac side effects when using off-label drugs to treat COVID-19. Off-label means the drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat a different condition. Some of the off-label drugs being used to treat COVID-19 have a risk of sudden cardiac arrest and death.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Michael Ackerman, a Mayo Clinic genetic cardiologist and director of the  Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, explains how heart monitoring is important to identify at-risk patients.