KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Northland clinic has started offering a COVID-19 antibody test to people who have not shown any symptoms, but some health experts still question the reliability of such tests.
The test “checks for the presence of coronavirus antibodies in the blood,” which is a sign of a past immune response to an infection, and is not meant to diagnose an active case of COVID-19.
“Antibodies are produced by the immune system at least seven days after infection and remain positive long after you have recovered from the disease and are no longer contagious,” KC Wellness Center said in a statement, announcing the new testing capability. “An antibody test is mainly used to detect whether you have previously been infected with the coronavirus.”
However, publicly available antibody tests have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, and some experts warn current antibody testing isn’t reliable. The tests may not be sensitive enough to distinguish between different types of human coronavirus.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, believes antibody testing will become a critical component in combating COVID-19 but not until a reliable test is developed and widely available.
Many also believe the wide availability of such tests, treatments for COVID-19 and eventually a vaccine should help shape when businesses and local/state economies reopen.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has already announced plans to reopen the state beginning next Monday, while the current stay-at-home order in Kansas is set to expire Monday unless Gov. Laura Kelly extends it this week.
Currently, antibody tests aren’t necessarily specific to COVID-19 and could indicate a past common-cold infection or some other less-lethal human coronavirus, antibodies that won’t help someone who then gets infected with COVID-19.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams echoed those concerns last Thursday during a press briefing.
“There are multiple ones (antibody tests) on the market, but many of them have not been validated,” he said.
Eventually, medical professionals hope a reliable antibody test will be used to help craft a plasma treatment
Prior to getting the new antibody test, patients will need to consult with KC Wellness Center personnel via telemedicine or through an in-person appointment.
Unlike COVID-19 tests, which involve a deep nasal swab, the antibody test typically require a small prick of the finger.