Experts Urge Caution in Interpreting COVID-19 Antibody Tests

Antibody, or serology, tests became available in April. They are performed on a blood sample and detect antibodies produced by the body in response to the virus. A positive test indicates that a person was infected at some time in the past. In a paper published recently in the journal Clinical Chemistry, Neil Anderson, MD, an assistant professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the assistant medical director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Christopher Farnsworth, PhD, an instructor of pathology and immunology at the School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of ensuring that antibody tests are used appropriately. Here, they discuss further how such tests should – and should not – be used. Why are antibody tests for COVID-19 important? https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/experts-urge-caution-in-interpreting-covid-19-antibody-tests-335509?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=88836791&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_HfsNdlWTCK4YL2ydRjmBgfw3hDbHxXlgW8rvcpIEVTeJd98FPOUP_VeL8M_4qceuNlIBeHXnMQb-XC3SPmf30JatvzQ&utm_content=88836791&utm_source=hs_email