ORLANDO, Fla. — With millions of Americans testing positive for COVID-19, many states have begun antibody testing for the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibody tests check your blood by looking for antibodies, which show if you had a previous infection with the virus.
Here are nine facts about antibody testing, all according to the CDC:
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1. Depending on when someone was infected and the timing of the test, an antibody test may not find antibodies in someone currently infected with COVID-19.
2. Antibody tests should not be used to diagnose someone as being currently sick with COVID-19. To find out whether you have a current infection, you need a viral test, which checks respiratory samples, such as a swab from inside your nose.
3. A positive test result shows you have antibodies that likely resulted from an infection with SARS-CoV-2, or possibly a related coronavirus.
4. Health officials said it is possible to test positive for antibodies without having symptoms of COVID-19. This is known as having an asymptomatic infection, or an infection without symptoms.
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5. Antibodies don’t show up for one to three weeks after infection.
6. Some people may take even longer to develop antibodies, and some people may not develop antibodies.
7. If you test negative for COVID-19 antibodies, you probably did not have a previous infection that has gotten better, and it is possible you have a current infection.
8. Tests results alone do not confirm whether you are able to spread the virus that causes COVID-19.
9. It is unclear whether antibodies can provide immunity against getting infected again.
Cox Media Group
