COVID-19 has medical researchers pulling out all the stops to identify, contain, treat, and cure the disease. The FDA recently approved an antibody test to identify if a person has COVID-19, has ever been introduced to COVID-19 or have never been introduced to it. The test provides a titer antibody report after the collection of a person’s blood. The report records the amount of antibody produced within the blood. The ideal part about identifying infections through antibodies is that the body will only produce antibodies for COVID-19 if it has been exposed to it. However the body takes days to produce antibodies for diseases. Therefore it is not as efficient to test if someone currently has COVID-19 because the body simply could not have developed the antibody response yet. This test is important especially for those who do not show symptoms to COVID-19 but they have been exposed and yet their body had a proper immune response. This is groundbreaking in terms of identifying asymptomatic carriers and putting them on quarantine to limit the spread of the virus. Often in times like this where the main RNA tests are limited it is important to develop new techniques to test people even if they are not the most efficient.
How The Test Works?
The blood test works to identify the presence, if any, of the specific IgG and IgM antibodies which are recruited to fight off COVID-19. IgM is the first and quickest antibody to respond to the infection. Then the IgG antibody is then produced and replaces the IgM antibody. The results for the test are as followed:
Negative result: No presence of COVID-19 IgM or IgG present. Therefore no COVID-19 has been introduced to the body, yet.
Positive Result, IgM only: the COVID-19 IgM antibody has been identified. It can be assumed a person is in the early stage of infection due to IgMs quicker response to infection.
Positive Result IgG only: the COVID-19 IgG antibody has been identified. Person is in the last stage of infection or is over the infection.
Positive Result IgM and IgG only: both COVID-19 antibodies have been identified. Person is likely in the middle of the infection.
Anytime a person’s test is positive they are contagious and should self quarantine. However we must be careful when interpreting the results because of the time frame it takes to produce antibodies a negative test does not fully confirm someone is virus free because their body may have just not produced antibodies. Also antibodies could have possible amino acid mutations to allow them not to be recognized by the test. The CDC recommends two tests obtained within 24 hours for the most accurate result of the test. These reasons are why it is important not use this test solely for identification. But it will be an influential tool in identifying carriers as well as determining if people are clear of the disease as well.
The Good, The Bad, The Microbiome 