Dr. Marla Koroly, Medical Director of Northern Westchester Hospital, explains what antibody testing is for Covid-19 and how accurate it its.
COVID-19 SEROLOGY testing, also known as antibody testing, is used to determine whether you have had COVID-19 in the past by testing for antibodies in your blood. Your immune system typically produces these antibodies anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks after being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, and we believe the antibodies can be detected for at least several months after. Antibody testing does NOT diagnose CURRENT infection of COVID-19.
How accurate are the results?
There are numerous tests with different levels of accuracy. Northwell uses tests that have all been approved by the FDA under Emergency Use Authorization. In addition to validation done by each of the manufacturers, Northwell did our own validation studies that show a high level of specificity, meaning that if you have a positive antibody test, it is 99-100% likely that these antibodies are specific for the virus that causes COVID-19 rather than another virus.
The challenge with any discussion about COVID-19 is that it is a very new disease and there is so much that we still do not know; we are constantly learning new information and changing our approach.
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