Coronavirus Watch: A dubious antibody testing industry
For now, antibody tests are valuable only for research and identifying plasma donors who could help those who are sick, public health experts say.
But if scientists establish that having the virus leads to immunity, the tests could help people decide whether to return to work, socialize or travel. Read more below.
It's Tuesday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's the most significant news of the day, as of 2 p.m. ET:
- Over the last three months, more than 40,600 long-term care residents and workers have died of COVID-19 — about 40% of the nation’s death toll attributed to the coronavirus, according to an analysis of state data gathered by Paste BN.
- A federal plan to screen air travelers for fever to detect the coronavirus is drawing scrutiny from a government watchdog officer worried about risking privacy intrusions and racial discrimination without evidence that such checks will keep Americans safer.
- More than 1.8 million people have tested positive for the virus in the U.S., and more than 105,000 have died. Worldwide, more than 6.3 million people have tested positive for the virus, and 376,000 have died. See the numbers in your area here.
Do you have questions about the coronavirus? Submit them through this form. Dolores from Mahwah, New Jersey, asks: Folks are being tested for the antibodies. Is there any report that reflects all the reliable antibody tests?
Relying on inaccurate tests poses grave risks. It's important to remember that antibody tests should not be used to determine if you're immune, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For nine critical weeks during the pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration exercised little of its power to decide which companies could sell blood tests aimed at detecting whether someone was previously infected. In that vacuum of oversight, Paste BN found a nascent industry with inexperienced or dubious companies jockeying to cash in.
The FDA’s list of antibody tests has included those from companies with little to no background in medical testing, including one that sells vape pens and one headed by a self-proclaimed technology evangelist. Some have ties to the world of dietary and health supplements; one advertises a male enhancement powder. At least five companies have claimed that their tests can be used to diagnose COVID-19, a violation of FDA guidelines.
As always, thank you for subscribing! We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information.
– Grace Hauck, breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck