Transcript
Coronavirus antibody tests may not be as reliable as previously thought.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance saying antibody tests used to determine if people have been infected in the past with Covid-19 might be wrong up to half the time.
This is dangerous if the test results in a false positive, leading people to believe they have been infected in the past and may be immune.
It’s still not clear whether a past infection means someone can’t get the virus again.
Regardless the CDC says the tests aren’t accurate enough to use to make important policy decisions such as within schools, dormitories, correctional facilities or whether people should return to work.
The CDC says health officials or health care providers who are using antibody tests need to use the most accurate test they can find and might need to test people twice.
Posted – 5.27.20