Rapid Antibody Tests Will Be key in Vaccine Efficacy Validation
“The study of the immune responses of antibodies is not only critically important for determining protection, but also for diagnosing positive and negative cases.”
Director of Global Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School,
and Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Shedding Light on Antibody Testing and Its Implications for COVID-19
If COVID-19 antibodies are present health care professionals can determine if someone has been exposed to the virus and mounted an immune response. The presence of COVID-19 antibodies can also help the clinician make a definitive COVID-19 diagnosis. Many individuals opt to test for antibodies when offered by physicians, clinics, and pharmacies simply because they want to know.
“I didn’t feel good. I knew that the gastrointestinal issues, low grade fever, and total lack of energy were symptoms. I think I had it. Just didn’t didn’t go, but I’d like to know now.”
Atlanta Resident – tested positive for IgM and IgG Antibodies
How Many People are Testing
Some multi-physician practices, larger clinics, and pharmacies are testing dozens of patients a day. One hospital system client of ours will take 2.1 million tests this week.
But, that may be just the tip of the iceberg for rapid testing.
Validating Vaccines
The fastest and most accurate way to screen is with a rapid antibody test. They are now highly accurate, cheap, and simple (Our test’s evaluations: Sensitivity 100% – Specificity 98.8). People who are vaccinated will have a way check the effectiveness of the vaccinations with an office or pharmacy visit.
Hospital and institutional buyers appear to see the writing on the wall, too, as order volumes are ramping up. With more than 250 vaccine candidates being pursued globally, almost 30 are already in clinical studies with 20+ slated to be ready ready for clinical trials yet this year supply chains may tighten.
Vaccine manufacturers have announced cumulative capacity that could produce as many as one billion doses by the end of 2020 and nine billion doses by the end of 2021.
On pins and needles: Will COVID-19 vaccines ‘save the world’?
July 29, 2020, McKinsey & Company
The more data we have, the more accurately public policy decision makers can manage our responses to COVID-19. MEDformance is working applications to streamline test submission data, but at this time most positive IgM tests are referred to a lab for confirmation. If a positive test is confirmed it is reported at that point.
“This is a long-term surveillance problem of whether or not patients with antibodies ever get sick again from SARS-CoV-2, and we won’t know that for a while.”
Austin L. Vickery, Jr. Professor of Pathology, Vice Chair of Pathology for
Academic Affairs, Pathologist in Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital
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