RSV Abstract & Eve Quinn interviews Minerva A. Garcia

Welcome all to my show, Meet Minerva the Microbiologist. My name is Minerva A. Garcia. I am currently the Associate Director of Microbiology at Jacobi Medical Center New York City health and hospitals corporation. I am your microbiologist. 

Now again microbiology with the microbes welcomes you in and so does poetry, with creative lines

In today’s show I’ll be talking about the following topics:

RSV abstract by Minerva was sent in and accepted at the ASM American Society of Microbiology and Clinical Virology Symposium in 2016.

Eve Quinn interviews Minerva A. Garcia

Poems Tomorrow by Minerva.

Facts about the delta variant

So, let’s get started. 

RSV abstract by Minerva:

When I stress in my abstract that respiratory syncytial virus known as RSV which is a pediatric virus usually in the winter months will jump to adult population via a host that will be opportunistic such as immuno-compromised, immuno- suppressed, diabetic, lupus, elderly population, and patients at risk with debilitating health issues.

RSV will jump from pediatric population to the adult population. Today we are seeing that the corona virus known as Covid-19 has jumped from animals to humans and this is known as the term zoonotic. 

When we saw this pediatric virus jump to adults we knew that also other viruses could do this as well.  For example Bordetella pertussis, which is a pediatric virus, this can also jump to adult populations and the immunocompromised population. Today we are witnessing RSV cases usually not seen during the warm months. We know that RSV is a virus that strikes in the cold. This is a seasonal virus. 

So now Eve Quinn will interview me:

Eve 

 Hi Minerva how are you?

Minerva

 Hi how are you?

Eve

 Good, thanks for having me on the show!

 Minerva

 Sure, welcome to the show.

 Eve

So today you have been talking about your abstract on RSV. What year did you write this abstract? 2014?

Minerva

 I did write it in 2014, but it was accepted in various articles and for a presentation at a symposium. It was accepted at the ASM Virology Symposium. I was very happy about that. It was a great triumph. 

Eve

Wow that is quite the accomplishment. So, why did you choose to research the respiratory syncytial virus at this time?

Minerva

I am very interested in doing research. I learn stuff through research and I think that’s how we can move science forward in order to help patients and the world. Imagine if we didn’t have research today. We wouldn’t have the COVID-19 vaccine, Which is helping so many people all over the world.  So, right now I can say that because I have such a strong interest in research, giving away my patient confidentiality,  I know that I am a diabetic patient who became very concerned with the respiratory symptom that I experienced  In one of the cases that I had during the winter seasons. I did a respiratory panel for other viruses and especially the flu is all negative. So, I became concerned. My hypothesis was that it could possibly be RSV.

RSV is only seen in pediatric populations. So, I hypothesized that because I was an immunocompromised adult being diabetic that most likely I did have RSV.

Didn’t test at that time but it just happened that I got a case of an elderly patient which was a male. To my surprise,  he was positive for RSV.  And I proved my hypothesis was conclusive with my theory. So, this was really an excellent way for me to prove that. So, I hypothesize that this virus in the pediatric population will jump to other populations.  Also patients with immunocompromise an immunosuppressed immune systems will become opport