What does it mean when someone has Coronavirus antibodies?
I'm a bit confused reading articles like this: www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/nyregion/coronavirus-antibodies-test-ny.html
One of every five New York City residents tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus, according to preliminary results described by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday that suggested that the virus had spread far more widely than known.
If the pattern holds, the results from random testing of 3,000 people raised the tantalizing prospect that many New Yorkers — as many as 2.7 million, the governor said — who never knew they had been infected had already encountered the virus, and survived. Mr. Cuomo also said that such wide infection might mean that the death rate was far lower than believed.
As per this previous Stackexchange question, it appears that we have no way of knowing whether someone has coronavirus antibodies or not. So I have a few follow-up questions:
How do they detect whether someone has coronavirus antibodies?
Does someone having the antibodies mean they were definitely infected with the novel coronavirus at some point?
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How do they detect whether someone has coronavirus antibodies?
You test the blood against antigens carried by the SARS-CoV-2. Antibodies in the blood will bind to these antigens.
The information for the Cellex test says:
When a correct volume of test specimen is dispensed into the
sample well of the test cassette, the specimen migrates by
capillary action along the cassette. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus
IgG, if present in the specimen, will bind to the SARS-CoV-2
conjugates. If IgG is present in the specimen, the
immunocomplex will then captured by the anti-human IgG line,
forming a burgundy colored G Line, indicating a SARS-CoV-2
virus IgG positive test result.
The anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus IgM, if present in the specimen, will
bind to the SARS-CoV-2 conjugates. The immunocomplex is then
captured by the anti-human IgM line, forming a burgundy
colored M Line, indicating a SARS-CoV-2 virus IgM positive test
result. Information regarding the immune response to SARS-CoV- 2 is limited and still evolving.
Does someone having the antibodies mean they were definitely infected with the novel coronavirus at some point?
It depends on the specificity of the test. If the test is 99% specific it means that it is 99% probable that you're detecting the right antibody, and not an antibody against another virus or antigen.
www.fda.gov/media/136625/download
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