I was alarmed to read misleading information in the May 9 Monitor regarding antibody testing for COVID-19.
Your statement “antibody testing identifies whether a person has contracted COVID-19 in the past and developed immunity” gets ahead of the science. The WHO website warns, “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.” In fact, a positive antibody test for COVID-19 may mislead a person into thinking that they are immune and lead them to abandon effective precautions that are needed to keep them safe.
There are several unsolved issues surrounding COVID-19 antibody testing. Some tests cross-react with antibodies from other coronavirus infections like the common cold, causing falsely positive tests, even in people who were never infected with the novel coronavirus. There are bad tests on the market, with only three of 15 rated as accurate in one analysis. Even the more reliable ones may not specifically test for “neutralizing antibodies,” the only kind with the ability to block the virus from our cells and create immunity.
In the case of COVID-19, the antibodies formed against its “Spike” or S protein seem to be most likely to confer immunity. This research takes time. It is just too early to be sure whether a person who has had COVID-19 is immune to re-infection, or how long that immunity may last.
I urge Granite Staters to wait for more data before believing that a positive antibody test means you are immune.
Dr. LYN S. LINDPAINTNER
Concord