Commercial antibody tests not meant to diagnose COVID-19, experts say

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) With more people looking to get tested for COVID-19, new tests are popping up at commercial labs. But experts say not all of these tests are created equal.

Spencer Smith, owner of ARCpoint Labs is opening his COVID-19 antibody test to the public.

“This test looks, in your blood, for those antibodies that your body produces to fight off the virus,” Smith said.

But antibody testing comes with a downside.

“Around 14 days after you either are first exposed or you first have symptoms is the most accurate timeline where you’ll get results from this test,” Smith said.

So, he said, it's not meant for diagnosing people with the coronavirus at that time. It's ideally meant for someone who thinks they may have had it and recovered.

“So this test can’t necessarily say, you know, for sure you don’t have it now,” Smith said.

And the tests given at commercial labs are different than the tests given in tents like these outside hospitals. They involve a nasal swab. The results reveal if you have the active virus in your respiratory system, according to CHOMP Director of Laboratory Services, Cheryl Gindhart Moore.

Essentially, the hospital tests give more definitive answers than the antibody tests do. Although, they're more difficult to get done.

And Smith said he understands the limitations of antibody testing, but he still thinks it has a place in helping the community find more cases of people who had the virus and recovered.

“And might help us with understanding how prevalent the disease is in a area,” Moore said.

But, Moore added that if you're sick, an antibody test shouldn't affect the way you respond.

“They’re certainly welcome to pursue an antibody test, but it’s not going to change the fact that they still need to isolate,” Moore said.