Columbus, OH,
08
May
2020
|
19:45 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

ABC6: What You Need to Know About Antibody Testing

As antibody tests, a new way to detect whether you have had COVID-19, rise in production and availability, health officials still have concerns over their accuracy compared to other types of testing. 

Joseph Gastaldo, MD, OhioHealth system medical director, infectious diseases, recently appeared on ABC6's Good Day Columbus to share his insight on how we can safely use antibody testing to fight against COVID-19. 

Antibody tests look for the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins made in response to infections. According to Dr. Gastaldo, developing an antibody does occur when someone has COVID-19, but it's still unknown whether you gain immunity from a future infection of the virus. 

"When you look at the antibody tests that are available, there are over 80 of them, and none of them are officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration as we're used to having them approved with other labs," Dr. Gastaldo said. 

If you're deciding whether to get the test, you should first have a discussion with your healthcare provider, and test results should be interpreted in an individual clinical context with your provider as well.

To watch the whole interview, click on the logo below.