10TV: How Accurate Are COVID-19 Antibody Tests?

COVID-19 testing availability remains a key issue as Ohio prepares to re-open, and antibody testing has been a hot topic lately - a way for people to see if they've already had COVID-19.  

However, Joseph Gastaldo, MD, OhioHealth system medical director, infectious diseases, chatted with 10TV about some of the concerns surrounding the accuracy of antibody testing.

"When we talk about antibody tests that are out there, there are many  of them and they're all different," Dr. Gastaldo said. "They perform differently, and they're so shaded with false positives, meaning they could be positive, but the patient doesn't have or has never had COVID-19."

Many antibody tests are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration but have been granted emergency-use authorization instead, which is not the same thing. It's also important to remember that even if you do test positive for antibodies, it does not mean you are immune to COVID-19.