Health Headlines - 5-7-20

In today's health headlines we talk about more oversight for companies selling antibody tests.

There is a Llama from Belgium that has antibodies for COVID-19.

Also, more on the kids in New York that tested positive for COVID-19 and a mysterious illness.

MORE OVERSIGHT -- FOR COMPAINESSELLING ANTIBODY TESTS.

THAT'STHE AIM OF A NEW POLICY FROM THEFOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION...AFTER UNPROVEN AND FRAUDULENTTESTS HAVE FLOODED THE MARKET.MANDY GAITHER TAKES A CLOSERLOOK AT WHAT'S BEING DONE TOSTOP IT.THE F-D-A WILL NOW REQUIREANTIBODY TEST MAKERS TO SUBMITEMERGENCY AUTHORIZATIONREQUESTS -- ALONG WITH PROOF THETESTS WORK -- WITHIN 10 DAYS.THE AGENCY IS ALSO SETTINGSPECIFIC PERFORMANCERECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALLTEST DEVELOPERS -- SAYING THEYWILL WORK WITH THE NATIONALCANCER INSTITUTE TOINDEPENDENTLYVALIDATE ANTIBODY TESTS ON THEMARKET.ANTIBODY TESTS ARE USED TO CHECKFOR PRIOR COVID-19 INFECTION ANDCAN PROVIDE A BETTERSENSE OF HOW MUCH OF THEPOPULATION HAS ALREADY BEENINFECTED AND MIGHT HAVE SOMEIMMUNITY TO THE VIRUS.IT'S STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER THEPRESENCE OF ANTIBODIES MEANSSOMEONE IS IMMUNE OR HOW LONGTHAT IMMUNITY MIGHT LAST.IN MID-MARCH -- THE F-D-ALOOSENED APPROVAL STANDARDS INAN EFFORT TO GET ANTIBODY TESTSONTHE MARKET --BUT -- IT QUICKLY BECAME CLEARTHAT MANY OF THOSE TESTS WEREUNRELIABLE --A NUMBER OF TESTS HAD HIGH RATESOF FALSE POSITIVES -- WHICHCOULD GIVE PEOPLE A FALSESECURITY BY LEADING THEM TOBELIEVE THEY'VE ALREADY BEENINFECTED AND HAVE IMMUNITY FROMTHE VIRUS.THE F-D-A HOPES BY VALIDATINGANTIBODY TESTS -- THE AGENCYWILL HAVE BETTER DATA TO DECIDEWHETHER TO AUTHORIZE THE TEST --WORK WITH THE TEST DEVELOPER TOSORT OUT FIXES --OR BLOCK THE TEST FROM MARKETINGIN THE U-S.FOR TODAY'S HEALTH MINUTE, I'MMANDY GAITHER.SO FAR... AT LEAST TEN ANTIBODYTESTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN EMERGENCYUSEAUTHORIZATIONS.MORE THAN 200 OF THESE TESTS ARECURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED.THE RACE TO FIND EFFECTIVETREATMENTS FOR COVID 19... HASLED RESEARCHERS TOLLAMAS.SPECIFICALLY A FOUR YEAR OLDLLAMA FROM BELGIUM... NAMEDWINTER.WINTER'S ANTIBODIES HAVE SHOWNPROMISE IN PREVENTING THECORONAVIRUS FROMINFECTING CELLS.RESEARCHERS IN BELGIUM AND THEU-S PUBLISHED THE FINDINGS THISWEEK.THE HOPE IS... THAT THEANTIBODIES CAN BE INJECTED INTOAN UNINFECTED PERSON...PROTECTING THEM FOR A MONTH ORTWO AT A TIME.MORE CHILDREN IN NEW YORK AREBEING HOSPITALIZED WITH AMYSTERY ILLNESSPOSSIBLY LINKED TO COVID-19.ACCORDING TO THE STATE HEALTHDEPARTMENT... AT LEAST 64 CASESWEREREPORTED AS OF TUESDAY... NONEOF THEM HAVE BEEN FATAL.MOST OF THE PATIENTS HAD TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19..

ORCORONAVIRUSANTIBODIES.SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OFKAWASAKI DISEASE... AND TOXICSHOCK SYNDROME...AND INCLUDE... FEVER..

REDEYES..

RASH..

UPSET STOMACH ANDIN SOME CASES... CARDI