WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A bilingual doctor joined a conversation and answered questions regarding the COVID-19 omicron variant on WPTV’s social media platforms Wednesday.
Dr. Luis Peña-Hernández, a pulmonologist out of Wellington, answered questions both in English and Spanish about the omicron variant.
There were a variety of questions that were asked: should people get tested if they have traveled internationally or domestically? Does blood type play a role in COVID-19?
"That is a very good question. At the very beginning of the pandemic there was some data that was suggesting that patients with different blood types would have different severity of COVID infection. However, to my knowledge there is no further strong body of evidence," said Dr. Peña-Hernández.
One concern that kept coming up was about people being vaccinated, yet they still were infected by COVID-19.
"If you recovered successfully and this condition did not make you require oxygen on a regular basis,” said Dr. Peña-Hernández. “If you didn't develop fibrosis of your lungs or even more so you didn't end up in the intensive care unit, in the ICU, on a ventilator fighting for your life. This in itself makes the vaccine work."
Another interesting question that was asked by viewers: are home testing kits the same quality you'd find in a doctor's office or hospital?
According to Dr. Peña-Hernández they are useful when it’s positive but if it shows a negative result — that doesn’t automatically mean you don’t have COVID-19.
"If you test negative at home and you still have symptoms. You should still isolate yourself for five days and try to get your healthcare provider to give you a PCR test. Because that could be a false negative," said Dr. Peña-Hernández.