Poll: Are COVID-19 antibody tests useful?
A new study reported that antibodies decrease within 2-3 months after initial infection and instigated the notion that immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is short term (Quan-Xin Long et al., 2020). It was then widely interpreted that COVID-19 antibody tests are useless, and herd immunity will be impossible. However, an article shared by MolecularCloud scientist questioned this notion and analyzed why herd immunity can still work. What does he say? Read the full article.
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Do you think COVID-19 antibody testing is useful?
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Yes, it's useful466
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No, it's useless57
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Even if COVID-19 antibodies were only effective 2-3 months, it was absolutely enough for herd immunity. Because current strong production capacity will make it possible. And why should we execute herd immunity? We can stop the spread by prior supply to high-risk areas and sencondary supply to low-risk areas, then we are unnecessary to be vaccinated anymore. Moreover, the COVID-19 is not SARS, situation will be different.
Let's imagine that the vaccine only had a longevity of 2 months. In this case, would we be willing to receive this vaccine 6x/year in order to provide protection? Certainly, and we would likely develop a nasal spray to reduce the impact. The real question is: is immunity provided by prior exposure? This might be assessed by testing for circulating antibodies, or by a challenge test, as is done for TB.
IgG/IgM antibody test will help to trace in a much more population-based way who has had the infection, because many cases seem to be spread from asymptomatic patients who can’t be identified easily. A couple in Singapore, the husband tested positive by PCR,His wife’s PCR test result was negative, but the antibody test results,showed she had antibodies, as did her husband.
Increased tendency to use rapid antigen tests because they are much faster and cheaper as compared to RT-PCR. Diagnosis alongside PCR based tests.
I think they could be used for diagnosis alongside PCR based tests, but for epidemiology, a retrospective analysis of places hit early on might generate a better model of the extent of infection.
There is now an increased tendency to use rapid antigen tests because they are much faster and cheaper as compared to RT-PCR even though that remains an ultimate gold standard test for detecting Covid-19 infection.The results of Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine early human trials (Phase 1 and 2 )looks promising.It shows the Covid vaccine to be safe and capable of inducing an immune response.Once the trials are over successfully and the vaccine is approved,one can manufacture them for use in several countries.
There is now an increased tendency to use rapid antigen tests because they are much faster and cheaper as compared to RT-PCR even though that remains an ultimate gold standard test for detecting Covid-19 infection.The results of Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine early human trials (Phase 1 and 2 )looks promising.It shows the ovid vaccine to be safe and capable of inducing an immune response.Once the trials are over successfully and the vaccine is approved,one can manufacture them for use in several countries.
An antibody test clearly explains that you had the pathogen (virus) infection at some point in the past. They have been generated in your body to fight against infection. It could be gone, or you could still be contagious. In this test we take a bit of blood sample, like through a finger prick. The test looks for one or both kinds of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19: 1. IgM antibodies, which happen early in an infection 2. IgG antibodies, which are more likely to show up later Most people have IgG antibodies about 14 days after symptoms start. Generally these antibodies stay in blood long after the infection goes away. But due less knowledge we don’t know how long these antibodies stay in body after the new coronavirus infection.
It is definitely useful regardless of the length of antibody-mediated immunity. It can show the population immunity at a specific point of time, and individually it tells whether a person may be protected for infection for a certain period.
This question is incomplete. Useful for what? This requires context. Are they useful somewhere? sure, yes. Are they useful as, say, the only determinants of epidemiological data and resultant public policy? No, of course not. As to the question of antibodies and resistance to infection (which is implied but not really part of the question) - I just do not think we know yet so there is no answer to this. But we await eagerly to know.