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The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday that tests for antibodies against coronavirus are basically useless when it comes to testing immunity, news that dampens hopes that the tests can show when and if someone is safe to leave. from quarantine.
So-called “serological” tests can only show whether the antibodies are present in a person’s blood, the WHO said in a statement.
And the presence of antibodies only indicates whether a person has had COVID-19, with or without symptoms, the organization said.
It is still unclear whether surviving the deadly virus imparts universal immunity to re-infection.
“These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of presence of serology, that level of antibodies, but that does not mean that someone with antibodies” is immune, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO emerging diseases unit, CNBC.com reported.
Added Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergency program, “No one is sure if someone with antibodies is fully protected against disease or exposure again,” he said.
“Also, some of the tests have sensitivity issues,” he said. “They can give a false negative result.”
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