Specialists at the UW Medicine Virology Lab are about to take a big step toward curbing the COVID-19 outbreak through a newly developed blood test that can identify people in Washington state who have antibodies to the virus.
“This is another turning point in the fight against this virus,” said Dr. Keith Jerome, head of the Virology Division at UW Medicine. “We’re talking about literally testing thousands of people every day.”
Jerome described the testing program in a Friday news conference, along with Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the UW Medicine Clinical Virology.
The blood tests are expected to significantly improve medical understanding of the virus, including how long antibodies stay in the body and how well they provide immunity. This knowledge could then support the development of treatments and vaccines, Jerome said.
The widespread use of tests for immunity to the pandemic coronavirus could be vital to the re-opening of businesses and schools and return of workers, he said.
The antibody blood tests identify people with a past infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the cause of COVID-19. This particular test looks for a type of antibody dubbed “IgG .”
Greninger said the tests are 100% sensitive and 99.6% specific to the novel coronavirus that has infected millions and killed more than 150,000 people arond the globe.
The first people to be tested will likely be health care providers and others on the front lines of the outbreak.
Jerome said the tests can be ordered by doctors, including primary care physicians, medical clinics or health departments that are equipped to take blood samples.
He said possibly 1% or 2% of the state’s population may already have been infected and developed antibodies to the virus. Once someone is confirmed to have antibodies, it will give them greater confidence in their day-to-day lives.
It will also identify those who may be able to donate blood for use in treating others with severe symptoms from the coronavirus, and with the eventual development of a vaccine.
