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USA Today
2 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Titer tests: Everything you need to know
Whether you're welcoming home a new baby, flying to a new destination for a vacation or working around sick patients as a doctor or nurse, your immunity is your invisible armor against all the bugs and diseases lurking out there. Checking to see how strong that armor really is under these and other circumstances is a priority to individuals, educators and employers. Titer tests are how such strength can be measured. These quick and easy blood tests reveal whether your body has enough antibodies to fend off the infections you're hoping to keep away and can also tell you if a booster is in order. Here's what a titer test is, how one is administered and what results you can expect from taking one. What is a titer test? A titer test is a simple blood test that identifies whether your body has any antibodies associated with a specific disease. An antibody is a protein that's created by your body's immune system to fight bacteria and viruses. "Prior to getting a vaccine or being exposed to a viral infection, our bodies have little to no antibodies against that specific vaccine or virus," explains Cynthia Leifer, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Cornell University. But once our body has already been exposed to a virus or vaccine, "our antibody levels against it increase dramatically," she says. Titer tests are what's used "to help you determine if you currently have immunity to certain diseases due to past infection or vaccination,' says Dr. Alison Mitzner, a New York board-certified pediatrician and the author of "Calm and Confident Parenting." In other words, whether you're going to be exposed to varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis, rubella, COVID-19 or the measles or mumps, these tests will help you know if you'll be protected. And for some of these diseases that provide long-term or lifelong immunity after exposure, a single titer is all that is needed to know if protection is still intact. But for viruses like COVID-19, multiple tests may be necessary as such antibody levels ebb over time. How is titer testing given? A titer test is administered through a standard blood draw that's both quick and usually painless. No special preparation is necessary, and the procedure takes only a few minutes. "They are administered by a healthcare provider at the doctor's office, in the hospital, at various pharmacies or at laboratory diagnostic centers,' says Mitzner. A few days after your blood has been drawn, your healthcare provider will receive the results and contact you "to go over the results and to make recommendations for any treatments or vaccines,' says Leifer. Did you see? What experts need you to know about the MMR vaccine Who is titer testing for? Just about anyone can get a titer test. They're especially valuable for people who don't have a complete record of their past vaccinations, pregnant women and individuals who are frequently interacting with large groups of people. Healthcare professionals and healthcare students also usually want them because of the number of sick patients they are frequently exposed to. Parents of a new baby, people with autoimmune disorders or symptoms "and individuals who may have been exposed to an infection while traveling abroad may want clear evidence of immunity against specific diseases or need a titer test to confirm their immune response,' says Mitzner. Sometimes employers and school systems also recommend for an employee or a student to take a titer test, particularly if that employee or student doesn't have a complete record of past vaccinations. What is Tdap? Here's what you need to know to stay protected against whooping cough What do titer test results mean? Titer tests can show if you have active immunity that you've received directly from a past infection or vaccine; passive immunity that's been passed from mother to baby or from donated blood; or no immunity at all. And titer tests don't just determine if you have immunity, they can also help you determine just how protected you really are; they quantify the number of specific antibodies in your blood. 'Titer tests measure both the amount and type of antibodies in a blood sample," explains Leifer. 'This information is used to help you determine if you should receive treatment for a viral infection you may have been exposed to or be given a vaccine or booster to protect you against one going forward."
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
How long does a cold last? And how long are you contagious?
Many people think of December and January as the two months of the year you're likely to catch the common cold, but 'cold season' actually stretches from late August through April. That means only about three months of the year, typically May through July, fall outside it. But even during these 'off' months, nearly one in 10 people still catch a cold, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In other words, in any given month, tens of millions of people are walking around with telltale cold symptoms like a stuffy nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, sore throat and sometimes a cough or low-grade fever. Here's what causes colds to spread so easily, how long they are usually contagious and how they're most commonly treated. What are the main causes of a cold? The common cold is most often caused by a viral infection. Rhinoviruses are the leading culprit, but other viruses such as adenoviruses, certain coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza viruses can also trigger cold symptoms by infecting the upper respiratory tract. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. These and more than 200 other viruses spread through saliva or mucus particles expelled from a sick person. 'To catch a cold, you must introduce a cold virus from someone else into your airway,' says Dr. David Hill, a North Carolina-based pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. This typically happens when infected respiratory droplets are released into the air when a sick person talks, sings, sneezes or coughs. In addition to being inhaled directly, viruses can also land on surfaces and spread when someone touches a contaminated surface and then brushes their nose, eyes or mouth. 'Being in shared spaces often increases the likelihood of transmission,' says Dr. Alison Mitzner, a New York City-based board-certified pediatrician and author of "Calm and Confident Parenting." Other risk factors include a weakened immune system, preexisting health conditions, exposure to cigarette smoke, colder months with lower humidity (which dry out nasal passages) and aging. "Sleep deprivation and fatigue can also make people more susceptible to catching a cold," adds Hill. How long are colds contagious? One of the reasons colds spread so frequently is that they are contagious even before symptoms begin, often one or two days beforehand. After that, "you're usually contagious for as long as you have symptoms, which typically last seven to ten days," says Mitzner. While germs can spread anytime throughout this period, the most viral shedding tends to happen around days four to six. "Know that you can remain contagious for up to two weeks though," she adds. Hill says it's also important to note that "different cold viruses have different levels of contagion." RSV, for example, "is extraordinarily easy to transmit at it can survive on surfaces for hours," he explains. Yes, pneumonia can be contagious. But here's why it depends on the form. How are colds treated? While symptoms can almost always be managed, 'there are no treatments that shorten the duration of a cold,' says Hill. Instead, "every cold just needs to run its course," says Mitzner. To relieve symptoms in the meantime, Hill recommends saltwater nasal rinses for congestion or using nasal decongestants like oxymetazoline if symptoms are especially bad. But he cautions against using them for more than two to three days due to the risk of rebound congestion which, he says, "may be worse than the cold itself." Medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also reduce fever and alleviate sore throat or headaches but should not be given to very young children without medical advice. For younger kids, Hill recommends honey as a natural cough and sore throat remedy, though he emphasizes that infants and kids under 1 year should never be given honey due to the risk of botulism. 'When you catch a cold, it's important to let your body heal,' says Mitzner. That means rest, hydration and the use of 'a cool-mist humidifier at night to breathe easier.'
