A Coronavirus Antibody Test Is the Next Step in Fighting COVID-19, Experts Say
. So while a positive antibody test can indicate that you had a coronavirus infection in the past—it may also be a sign that youWhat’s more, if you’re only in the early days of an infection, antibodies may not be detected at all, because your immune system is still building up a response. “This limits the test’s effectiveness for diagnosing COVID-19 and why it should not be used as the sole basis to diagnose COVID-19,” the FDA says.
Then, there is a chance of false positives or negatives. “Antibodies can cross-react with each other,” Dr. Watkins says. “There are many coronaviruses and whether it will happen with COVID-19 is an open question. But the technology continues to improve, making this less likely.”It depends on how widely available the tests are. If a test is easy to access, Dr. Willard says that “everyone should get it.
But, if antibody tests are limited like current COVID-19 tests, they will be “especially valuable for healthcare workers, but also for people whose jobs involve interacting with the public,” Dr. Watkins says.An antibody test could have big implications. “There are a lot of groups now—businesses, colleges, athletic conferences, and hospitals—who are thinking about how useful this test will be as we try to get back to normal,” Dr. Schaffner says.
From a public health standpoint, a widely-used antibody test could help experts determine how widespread COVID-19 actually is and has been. “An antibody test could be used to change social distancing guidelines and could be a way for someone to return to work,” says infectious disease expert“An antibody test could be a way for someone to return to work.”
Blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 and tested for strong antibodies is even beingThe ability to test for COVID-19 antibodies also raises some big questions, like whether people who have antibodies should be separated from those who don’t. “There is definitely a scenario where you could see that individuals having immunity would be able to move on while others couldn’t,” Dr. Adalja points out. Dr.
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