A research study posted online Tuesday claims that most patients who recover from the novel coronavirus will make antibodies despite age, gender or how badly they were infected.
An antibody is a protein made by plasma cells in response to infection and is a sign of the body’s attempt to fight the virus.
The study, which has not been reviewed by scientific experts, was authored by doctors from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. It said the vast majority of infected patients who recover from coronavirus become immune to COVID-19.
The study relied on a test developed by Florian Krammer, a researcher from the Icahn School of Medicine, that has a less-than-one-percent chance of producing false-positive antibody results, The New York Times reported.
“It really shows that most people do develop antibodies and that there’s very good correlation between those antibodies and their capability to neutralize the virus,” Columbia University virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen told The Times.
The study has reportedly enrolled more than 15,000 people so far. This news comes as efforts are underway throughout the country to develop and distribute antibody tests.
Northwestern University researchers have put forth a coronavirus antibody test that they say can be completed using only a single drop of dried blood from a finger prick.
The test, which is specifically designed to search for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies IgM and IgG, will help in “evaluating how effective policies such as social distancing or closing schools and restaurants are working to prevent viral transmission,” as well as eliminate the need for a clinical setting, according to the team’s lead author Thomas McDade.
Quest Diagnostics also announced last month that any person who wants to get an antibody test for COVID-19 can purchase one online, without having to go to the doctor’s office,
As of Thursday evening, there were more than 1.25 million confirmed cases of the virus in the US and over 75,000 deaths. So far, over 8.1 million people have been tested for COVID-19, which amounts to 2,469 per 100,000 people.