Page 12 - aruba-today-20200908

A12 HEALTH
Tuesday 8 sepTember 2020
Bold hopes for virus antibody tests still unfulfilled

that," said Admiral Brett
Giroir, the administration's
"testing czar."
The FDA pulled back on its
lax policy for antibody tests
in May, requiring compa-
nies to begin submitting
data on accuracy. The
FDA has authorized about
40 thus far, while dozens
more await review.
Despite the precautions
from regulators, some test-
ing companies continue to
advertise the tests for work-
ers and others. Big labora-
tories, including LabCorp
and Quest, offer the tests
to employers, along with
other services like tempera-
ture checks.
"We are aware of the CDC's
guidance," Quest spokes-
woman Kimberly Gorode
In this Tuesday, May 5, 2020 file photo, a health worker draws blood from a patient for a COVID-19 coronavirus antibody test in said in a statement. "That is
DeLand, Fla. why we recommend that
Associated Press employers use antibody
By MATTHEW PERRONE lished last week was more Antibody tests are different the world. testing as part of a holistic
AP Health Writer promising, suggesting that from the standard nasal In the meantime, experts approach to bringing their
WASHINGTON (AP) — At antibodies last at least four swab tests that diagnose say antibody tests are use- employees back to the of-
the height of the corona- months after diagnosis and active infections. Instead, ful for two things: Large fice."
virus lockdown, President do not fade quickly. they use a blood sample or studies in the general pop- At testing sites in New York
Donald Trump and his top For now, the Centers for finger-prick of blood to look ulation to see how widely City in April, doctors with
health advisers trumpeted Disease Control and Pre- for signs of a past infection, the coronavirus has spread, Somos — a medical non-
a new test that would help vention and the American whether the person was and screening people who profit serving low-income
Americans reclaim their Medical Association ex- sick or had no symptoms at may be able to donate communities — told peo-
lives — one that would tell plicitly warn that antibody all. Based on other viruses, their antibody-rich blood ple who tested positive
them if they already had tests should not be used experts expect those with plasma, which is used as an for antibodies that they
the virus and were protect- to make decisions about coronavirus antibodies to experimental treatment for could safely return to work,
ed from getting it again. returning workers to the of- be at least partly immune COVID-19. although they acknowl-
Their arrival would help "get fice or students to school, for several months, if not But those uses were not edged "nothing is 100%."
Americans back to work" though some labs still pro- longer. Dr. Anthony Fauci the focus of White House In a recent interview, the
by showing those who mote them for those uses. and other members of the briefings last spring, which group's founder, Dr. Ramon
might have "the wonderful, The CDC recommends ev- White House task force attracted between 8 mil- Tallaj, defended the test-
beautiful immunity," said eryone — even those who said early on it was a "rea- lion and 10 million cable TV ing. He said the workers
Trump, a point repeated at were sick and recovered sonable assumption" that viewers daily, according to would have been expect-
the daily briefings last April. — take precautions to pre- if "you have the antibody, Nielsen. A spokesperson for ed to go back anyway. The
Months later, the U.S. is vent getting and spreading you're protected" but add- the White House coronavi- antibody tests simply pro-
awash in the tests but the the virus. ed that there wasn't proof. rus task force did not pro- vided "one extra layer of
bold predictions about Experts say it was probably To get that proof, scien- vide a response to requests protection," he said.
their usefulness have yet to unrealistic to expect an- tists first run experiments in for comment. The CDC and state public
materialize. swers to key immunity ques- animals. Human trials come Expecting massive de- health agencies continue
"There was definitely a lot of tions early in the outbreak. next and can take even mand, the Food and Drug to use antibody testing to
wishful thinking that there Those questions have tra- longer. Researchers track Administration chose a track the spread of the vi-
was going to be a magical ditionally been answered people who had an infec- "flood-the-zone" strategy, rus in the U.S. So far, in most
test that was going to save only through long-term ani- tion and developed an- allowing more than 170 areas studied, fewer than
us all, but we're not there mal or human studies, said tibodies to see if they be- tests to launch with little 5% of the population have
yet," said Dr. Jennifer Rake- Marc Jenkins of the Univer- come reinfected. Their an- oversight. antibodies. That's far be-
man of New York City's sity of Minnesota. tibodies are measured to At the same time, Trump low the levels that most ex-
Public Health Laboratory. The National Institutes of to gauge the level needed highlighted his administra- perts think will be needed
The tests check the blood Health and universities are for immunity. tion's "fantastic progress" for herd immunity against
for antibodies the body conducting some of this Jenkins and others said it's bringing antibody tests to coronavirus, underscoring
makes to fight off an infec- work, but much of it has entirely possible that an ef- market, some officials were the need for a vaccine.
tion. Scientists are still work- taken a back seat to the fective vaccine will arrive raising concerns. Reports For now, Jenkins doesn't
ing to figure out how well rapid development of vac- before coronavirus anti- of European governments recommend spending the
antibodies for the corona- cines in the middle of a body studies are complet- forced to discard millions of money to get tested for
virus may shield someone pandemic. ed, helping answer some of faulty tests raised alarms. antibodies unless a doctor
from another infection, or "Everyone's impatient and I the key questions. Vaccines "We're going to be very recommends it.
how long that protection can see why," Jenkins said. spur the production of an- careful to make sure that "Even the research com-
might last. Some early stud- "But there's no easy path to tibodies, and a number of when we tell you you're munity can't really tell you
ies suggested any immunity this knowledge" about im- coronavirus vaccines are likely immune from the dis- what the result means,"
fades fast; research pub- munity. now being tested around ease ... the test really said Jenkins said.q