PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of the most effective ways to find out if someone has been exposed to COVID-19 in the past is to test for antibodies. Now, there may be a new tool to help in the process.
The current antibody test for COVID-19 is effective and in proper circumstances quite reliable, but science is always looking to improve.
The FDA recently issued emergency use authorization for a different kind of antibody test. The test detects whether someone was infected with COVID-19 in the past using the body’s T cells.
Some studies have shown antibodies wane after a few months. While antibodies can indicate whether a person had the coronavirus in the past, timing is key. Test too early and the antibodies may not yet be detected, but test too late and the antibodies may have already faded from the bloodstream.
Researchers hope the T cell test will be less impacted by time.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.