STOP!!
BEFORE YOU TEST FOR ANTIBODIES, KNOW:
⮚ Not all testing sites and antibody tests are created equal!
⮚ Even with antibodies present, it is too soon to know how long potential immunity might last or if antibodies even indicate immunity at all.
⮚ All social distancing protocols must remain in place until otherwise announced by reputable medical experts.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America states:
The current antibody testing landscape is varied and clinically unverified, and these tests should not be used as the sole test for diagnostic decisions. Further, until more evidence about protective immunity is available, serology results should not be used to make staffing decisions or decisions regarding the need for personal protective equipment. The antibody response in infected patients remains largely unknown, and the clinical values of antibody testing have not been fully demonstrated. False positive risks exist, especially with tests for Immunoglobulin M (IgM), and cross-reactivity with common cold coronaviruses.
THUS, BEFORE TESTING ASK:
1. Is the test truly accurate? Several tests are combination IgG/IgM,
which provide unclear value given the poor specificity of IgM.
2. Is the test COVID-19 SPECIFIC? Means it does not react with common cold.
3. Does the test provide QUANTITATIVE RESULTS (not qualitative)? This should include an IgG SPECIFIC number. The strength of the antibody test is tied to an IgG specific number using a nucleic acid amplification test.
4. Antibody testing done correctly determines who is eligible to be a plasma donor. The NY Blood Center is not fully ready to handle all potential donors. Donors should be patient if they are not called immediately.
Rabbi Aaron E. Glatt, MD
Why does this doctor feel he is THE only doctor who knows what hes talking about, and that everyone has to obey his orders.
Let everyone follow the advice of their own physicians. Not every doctor is as pessimistic and nervous as this one.
Because this is THE doctor everyone keeps calling. Not only is he brilliant, he is a real mentch. Our community is honored to have this true leader of klal Yisroel in our midst and proving true guidance in these trying times!