Red Cross antibody test source and quality?
June 16, 2020 7:03 AM Subscribe
The Red Cross is going to test all donors for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Yay! What are the details on the test?
I've read that these antibody tests vary greatly both in what they test for, as well as accuracy (sensitivity and specificity). Understandably, they've all been rushed to market and so I'd like to understand what it will tell me. But the Red Cross isn't saying anything that I can find about the test. Their convalescent plasma is using Creative Testing Solutions, which does a ton of blood donor testing and I think grew out of the Red Cross itself. Even assuming they're the ones doing the testing, I can't find anything on their SARS-CoV-2 antibody test except one preprint that has a single author from CTS, Phillip Williamson. Anyone got any details? I assume there must be information filed with the FDA at a minimum, right?
I've read that these antibody tests vary greatly both in what they test for, as well as accuracy (sensitivity and specificity). Understandably, they've all been rushed to market and so I'd like to understand what it will tell me. But the Red Cross isn't saying anything that I can find about the test. Their convalescent plasma is using Creative Testing Solutions, which does a ton of blood donor testing and I think grew out of the Red Cross itself. Even assuming they're the ones doing the testing, I can't find anything on their SARS-CoV-2 antibody test except one preprint that has a single author from CTS, Phillip Williamson. Anyone got any details? I assume there must be information filed with the FDA at a minimum, right?
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is the antibody test specific to COVID-19 or will other coronavirus antibodies show up as positives?
The Red Cross is using the FDA-authorized Ortho Clinical Diagnostics VITROS® Anti-SARS- CoV2 Total Test, which is specific to COVID-19.
--
This test is in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug's FDA link.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:05 AM on June 16, 2020
Is the antibody test specific to COVID-19 or will other coronavirus antibodies show up as positives?
The Red Cross is using the FDA-authorized Ortho Clinical Diagnostics VITROS® Anti-SARS- CoV2 Total Test, which is specific to COVID-19.
--
This test is in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug's FDA link.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:05 AM on June 16, 2020
Response by poster: A 1-2 punch for the win! Thanks so much, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug and Iris Gambol. So this test detects the IgG antibody, which is the slowest to appear, so there is some possibility that one could have been recently infected and still test negative. However, the specificity (rate of true negatives, people who don't have the antibodies and the test correctly identifies them) is 100%! I am very happy to hear that. I understand there's no way right now to assess whether antibodies confer immunity, but I would just really like to know.
posted by wnissen at 9:31 AM on June 16, 2020
posted by wnissen at 9:31 AM on June 16, 2020
« Older Faking orgasms: do I come clean, and if so, how? | Help me find a progressive news source that isn't... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 8:02 AM on June 16, 2020 [1 favorite]