Many people across the country experienced Covid-19 symptoms but could not get a test to confirm if they actually had the virus. Now some are looking to a different kind of coronavirus test for answers.
Antibody tests are meant to recognize a past infection. Many of these have hit the market in recent weeks and are being offered at local clinics. Officials have touted the tests as crucial for reopening the economy and developing public health strategies to contain the virus.
But there are still questions about how accurate they are. And even with a very good test, it’s possible to test positive for antibodies even when you don’t actually have them. Watch our new video to learn why. (Flagler County Health Department Medical Director Stephen Bickel elaborates on the math of antibody testing here.)
–Lucas Waldron and Nadia Sussman, ProPublica
HappyHappyJoyJoy says
At this point, the immunity aspect isn’t the most important part of an antibody test. No matter what, immunity will be temporary, anywhere from 3 to 24 months, per the average from other coronaviruses and flu viruses. What is most important now, is attempting to get a sense of how widespread the community based infection rate is based on the result of antibodies.
You would run a standard deviation formula for the results of the positive antibody tests and then a +- for the error quotient of potential false positives/negatives and you can come within a decent ratio to say if x amount of the population has antibodies within a +- range. This would be helpful to know if FL can proclaim they have heard immunity because it ravaged us early, when nearly 300 people were dying from pneumonia each week in Feb and early March that did not have the flu. Sadly, right now, antibody tests are how many of us that couldn’t get tested before will find out if we fall within that potential ballpark and go from there.
Jimbo99 says
What if the world was no more dangerous than it’s ever been ? And this whole thing is a bunch of carpetbaggers & snake oil salesmen wandering around preying on their victims uncertainty & fears ? Here’s a concept, What if the Coronavirus has been around a lot longer than anyone ever thought, has been gradually infecting and people have been recovering for years from a prior strain of the virus, a new one shows up and more become exposed & infected to that. This won’t be the last strain that morphs. Like evolution for anything, nothing evolves overnight. Speculations for any of it, tainted bat exposures, someone finally went into the cave where his strain has been evolving among a cave full of bats in China somewhere ? This whole thing has been predicated, not on misinformation, but rather fear of the totally unknown. There is no 100% real knowledge on this. The way it works, there is a virus, there is a human. Exposure and contamination results in a sick person. Doesn’t matter if 3-4% of the population had COVID-19 or 30-40% of the population had it. You either caught it or you didn’t. This video is misleading though. It assumes a 5% false positive error rate. A recent study indicated it’s more like 5 of 6 positives are false positives. That means 83+% of the time the test is wrong in ideal controlled lab settings. Recovery, wow, I’m reading that some recover and symptoms are mild, then you read about holes in lungs & brain or whatever else the virus presumably “caused”. And again we’re back to simply not having information. One thing is certain though, people that are being tested in the aftermath, the healthcare “experts” don’t have a pre-existing list of any patient, because the reality is, nobody goes to the ER or a doctor for every little thing they feel bad from.
P says
So true. If indeed you get the results. Tested last Monday (Ormond as there were no open testing sites in Flagler). Still no response if I had it or not. Feel good now but had all the symptoms. Thank you Advent Health😡😡😡
Col Bob says
Well, after reading this and listening to Dr. on WNZF this morning, I am now believing that NONE of the test are accurate. I truly think all these scientist really don’t have a clue what’s going on with this strain of coronavirus .
rick stevens says
Bottom line, then: we will have to be patient in awaiting a reliable antibody test which gives no significant false positives, right? Hopefully, that essential tool will soon be developed. In the absence of a vaccine in the near future, it’s the only way we’ll be able to return to economic recovery efforts with any direction or confidence. Fingers crossed for gifted scientists with the resources for development and capability of timely distribution in their hands. They have much of the future health and viability of nations and people around the globe in their hands, it seems.
MaryAnn Murray says
My husband and I were tested for Coronavirus on 4/29 and still have not received our results. We were advised to get tested because our son had tested positive a week before. Do you know what the problem is?