Scientists may have developed a new blood test that would help determine the severity of your COVID-19 symptoms.
The news: Scientists at George Washington University said they developed a new tool — deemed as a “simple blood test” — that “can quickly detect if someone has COVID-19 and predict how severely their immune system will react to the infection,” according to NBC Washington.
- “We’re using the person’s own body to tell us that they think something is awry,” said Dr. Tim McCaffrey, lead researcher for the project.
- The researchers published their findings of the blood test in the medical journal Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE).
Why it matters: “The findings could one day lead to a powerful tool to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for people with COVID-19,” per Science Daily.
The bigger picture: The study comes as coronavirus variants continue to change how we understand the virus.
- For example, omicron variant symptoms have been hard to notice for some patients as they can seem like the common cold, as I reported for the Deseret News.
- However, others have been experiencing a number of symptoms even months after infection.