Can antibody tests end the COVID-19 lockdown?

Many COVID-19 tests are throwing up false negative, which is also contributing to the spread of the contagion. But now, a few labs have developed a new antibody test that brings a ray of hope to all.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: April 17, 2020 8:35 pm

Antibody therapy has shown some positive results in COVID-19 treatment. @Shutterstock

The COVID-19 pandemic has managed to perplex scientists and healthcare professionals alike. This is an unknown variant of coronavirus that has spread alarmingly across the globe at a very rapid pace. Since there is no data to fall back on there is a lot of confusion regarding the right testing method. Till now many tests are throwing up false negative, which is also contributing to the spread of the contagion. But now, a few labs have developed a new antibody test that brings a ray of hope to all. These antibody tests can let you know if you’ve been in contact with the virus in the past, and if your body has developed a possible immunity to it. Also Read - Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine: Dr. Fauci 'hopes' it is tested well

This has given hope to millions across the globe that this may lead to an easing of restrictions. Many experts believe that people who have recovered may be sent back to work with so-called ‘immunity badges’. Also Read - Can your face mask really prevent spread of COVID-19 droplets? Use this test to find out

What is this test all about?

The human body makes antibodies in response to many illnesses and infections. This includes coronaviruses too. The new blood tests that are being developed will identify the antibodies that are unique to COVID-19. While Some companies are developing finger-prick tests that will give you results withing minutes, others are coming up with more elaborate and accurate tests called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In the latter tests, blood samples will have to be sent to a lab for analysis and results may take up to a week to come back. Also Read - COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 21,53,010 as death toll reaches 43,379

This is basically a blood test that looks for two antibodies which your body produces in response to the COVID-19 virus. Experts believe that those antibodies may provide a level of immunity to a person. Some estimates suggest that it may provide a level of immunity of six months to a year.

There are two types of antibodies associated with the COVID-19 immune response: IgM, which the body produces in the early stages of viral response, and IgG, which arrive later on during infection. You can have one of the antibodies, IgM, which may indicate that you still have the virus and are contagious. If you only test positive for the IgG antibody, that may indicate you’re over the infection. If you test positive for both IgM and IgG, it is likely you are in the middle stage of infection.

CDC’s antibody test

Along with many other labs and companies, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has also developed an antibody test, known as a serology test. They hope that the results of their testing will enable them to distinguish people who have not been infected yet and hence are still at risk for infection. This will help them determine factors that offer protection against this virus and this can lead to an easing of lockdown restrictions.

The good news

If these antibodies are identified in a person who was infected, it would mean that he can safely return to normal life without fear of infecting others. More than 70 companies are now selling these tests after the FDA waived off its initial review process given the current crisis situation.

A word of caution

This test too has its limitations. The main fear of scientists is that it may not be able to distinguish whether the antibodies were formed in response to COVID-19 or other coronavirus strains. Many experts fear that because of the urgent need for a solution to the current COVID-19 lockdown, even a small ray of hope may look like a blessing from heaven. This may induce a false sense of security which can be dangerous. Since many people have been exposed to other strains of coronavirus, this test too may be dicey because it is not able to look for Covid-19 antibodies specifically. But scientists hope that the presence of the antibodies from another stain may provide some level of protection from the COVID-19 virus. Moreover, nobody knows how long you enjoy immunity if you have the antibodies.

Published : April 17, 2020 8:35 pm

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