A plan by the University of 蜜柚直播 to test 250,000 蜜柚直播ns for COVID-19 antibodies comes as scientists are still debating how much protection against future infection a positive result means, and for how long.
鈥淭he first infections came out in December. And so we really don鈥檛 have any way to know ahead of time how long immunity鈥檚 going to last,鈥� said Deepta Bhattacharya, an associate professor in the Department of Immunobiology at UA鈥檚 College of Medicine.
In the worst case, based on studies of previous coronaviruses, such immunity is 鈥減robably not lasting for too much longer than a year,鈥� he said.
鈥淎 year ain鈥檛 too bad, though, I guess is what I would say,鈥� he added. 鈥淔rom an epidemiological standpoint, if that鈥檚 what this confers, that鈥檚 not terrible.鈥�
The UA announced April 14 that it is developing a test for COVID-19 antibodies and will make 250,000 such tests available to the state, beginning about May 1.
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The first of the tests will go to front-line medical personnel and first responders, officials said. UA also plans to offer optional testing to its faculty, staff and students.
Bhattacharya acknowledged a recent study finding that a majority of tests now on the market have accuracy rates that make them effectively useless.
But he said the test the UA is rolling out will be more accurate in determining if there are antibodies present than some of what鈥檚 on the market now.
He said the test is designed to make it 鈥渧ery unlikely鈥� to return a false positive. In fact, he said, it is crafted to err on the side of telling someone who may have some antibodies that they do not have protections.
鈥淲e decided that was probably the lesser of two evils given that we don鈥檛 want to give people a false sense of security,鈥� Bhattacharya said.
He said the belief that COVID-19 antibodies provide some level of immunity is based on what he called the 鈥済arden-variety coronaviruses,鈥� which have been around and for which there are studies. Those include MERS 鈥� Middle East respiratory syndrome 鈥攁nd severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
The World Health Organization earlier this month said there was no evidence that antibodies prevent reinfection.
鈥淎nd then I think they heard from many irritated scientists such as myself saying, 鈥榃hat do you mean by no evidence?鈥欌€� Bhattacharya said. He said it might have been more accurate for WHO to say that they 鈥渘eed more evidence.鈥�
WHO later backed down, Bhattacharya said, modifying its statement to say that most people will generate antibodies when they get infected, and that those antibodies are 鈥渆xpected to generate some degree of protection.鈥�
鈥淣ow, that鈥檚 vague,鈥� he acknowledged. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 essentially the data on the ground.鈥�
A lot of the research, Bhattacharya said, is occurring with scientists extracting the plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 and giving it to people in intensive-care units who are having trouble controlling the virus.
He said the number of such tests is limited, meaning the sample size may not be enough to draw any major conclusions.
鈥淏ut at least in those small studies it seems like that actually has quite a bit of benefit,鈥� Bhattacharya said.
There have been some nonhuman studies in primates like macaques where researchers infected the animals intentionally and then were unable to reinfect them later, he said.
Bhattacharya and other scientists have done experiments with antibodies and cell cultures. 鈥淎nd what we鈥檙e seeing is that people who have antibodies have at least some degree of neutralizing the virus, meaning preventing it from getting into cells,鈥� he said.
All of those things come with a degree of uncertainty.
鈥淚 would never be comfortable saying, 鈥榃ell, you have an antibody test, go do whatever you want,鈥欌€� he said. But he said everything he has seen so far leads him to believe that 鈥渟ome degree of immunity is conferred.鈥�
Research funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub found that some of the tests now on the market have an accuracy rate of less than 90 percent.
鈥淭hat was highly concerning,鈥� Bhattacharya said. But he said some of it comes down to the type of test being administered.
Some are 鈥渇inger-prick鈥� antibody tests. Their advantage is they involve a small amount of blood and yes-or-no results can come back within an hour.
鈥淔rom a logistical standpoint and getting many people tested, there鈥檚 a lot of upside to having a test like that,鈥� Bhattacharya said. But as the research found, 鈥渁 majority of them are really quite bad.鈥�
It鈥檚 complicated by people analyzing the results, which he said can be like reading a home pregnancy kit.
By contrast, he said, tests run by central labs 鈥� like the kind UA will be doing 鈥� are more accurate.
That requires a blood draw,鈥� Bhattacharya said. 鈥淎nd so there are some logistical issues with that in testing large numbers of people.鈥�
Still, he said, it produces a number that is related to the antibodies, not a color code on a stick. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not relying on the human eye,鈥� he said.
That, in turn, allows scientists to set 鈥渧ery strict cutoffs鈥� for telling people whether they have a positive antibody test.
鈥淲hat that means, also, is we err on the side of false negatives, meaning someone who may have some low levels of antibodies, our tests might call them negative,鈥� so as not to give people a false sense of security.
Photos for April 23: 蜜柚直播 gets by during Coronavirus Pandemic
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Erika Munoz, owner of Seis Kitchen, hands over a bag of meals to Michael Gallagher Carondelet, a registered nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital, to distribute to other nurses and hospital workers, on April 23, 2020. The donation was made in conjunction with A+C (Athletes/Artists+Causes) Foundation's 鈥淧roject Frontline.鈥� In two deliveries, 400 meals (200 poc chuck chicken and 200 puerco verde burritos) will be given to medical personnel at Carondelet St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital. The particular donation was made possible by the Houston Astros' Pitching Coach Brent Strom, who lives in 蜜柚直播.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Hospital workers wheel in carts full of catered meals donated by Seis Kitchen to Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital, on April 23, 2020. The donation was made in conjunction with A+C (Athletes/Artists+Causes) Foundation's 鈥淧roject Frontline.鈥� In two deliveries, 400 meals (200 poc chuck chicken and 200 puerco verde burritos) will be given to medical personnel at Carondelet St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital. The particular donation was made possible by the Houston Astros' Pitching Coach Brent Strom, who lives in 蜜柚直播.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Kristi Hall, a sixth grade teacher at Desert Sky Middle School, participates in planning a lesson with a fellow teacher on Zoom, at her home on April 17, 2020. Schools in the Vail School District are supposed to open in July due to their year-round school calendar. Plans are being made for the possibility of students returning to the physical classroom.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Bry Kelley, a warehouse assistant, places a pallet filled with food down next to other items donated to the Community Food Bank of Southern 蜜柚直播 on on April 21, 2020. Forty-one thousand pounds of flour, pasta and canned goods were donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The donation is part of an ongoing global effort by the church to address immediate needs of people and orgainzations due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

A pallet of food is placed down next to other items donated to the Community Food Bank of Southern 蜜柚直播 on on April 21, 2020. Forty-one thousand pounds of flour, pasta and canned goods were donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The donation is part of an ongoing global effort by the church to address immediate needs of people and orgainzations due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Christian Bergman, 4th year University of 蜜柚直播 medical student, takes the temperature of a patient outside the Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave., in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 19, 2020. Medical students from the University of 蜜柚直播 and other universities volunteer to help the homeless population with the growing concerns of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) within the homeless population. 鈥淭his is a vulnerable population in our community; they can鈥檛 defend themselves in a society already running short on supplies and resources,鈥� said Bergman. Medical students and medical personal help by giving out food, drinks with electrolytes and masks to the homeless. Those who are sick, medically impaired or have been exposed to those with COVID-19 are isolated outdoors in tents on the property. As of Sunday April 19, there were 13 individuals whom are isolated in tents.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Lekha Chesnick, 1st year medical student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, talks with a homeless man (whom choose to not give his name) outside of the Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave., in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 19, 2020. Medical students from the University of 蜜柚直播 and other universities volunteer to help the homeless population with the growing concerns of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) within the homeless population. Medical students and medical personal help by giving out food, drinks with electrolytes and masks to the homeless. Those who are sick, medically impaired or have been exposed to those with COVID-19 are isolated outdoors in tents on the property. As of Sunday April 19, there were 13 individuals whom are isolated in tents.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Christian Bergman, 4th year University of 蜜柚直播 medical student, checks on a patient outside the Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave., in 蜜柚直播, Ariz., on April 19, 2020. Medical students from the University of 蜜柚直播 and other universities volunteer to help the homeless population with the growing concerns of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) within the homeless population. 鈥淭his is a vulnerable population in our community; they can鈥檛 defend themselves in a society already running short on supplies and resources,鈥� said Bergman. Medical students and medical personal help by giving out food, drinks with electrolytes and masks to the homeless. Those who are sick, medically impaired or have been exposed to those with COVID-19 are isolated outdoors in tents on the property. As of Sunday April 19, there were 13 individuals whom are isolated in tents.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Elliott Dumont, owner of Roadrunner Bicycles, 6177 E. Broadway Blvd., works on a customer's bike on April 22, 2020. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has not slowed down bike shops. With many people at home, they are bringing bicycles for repairs and buying new ones for exercise. Dumont says he's booked out till the first week of May for tuneups on bikes.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Elliot DuMont, owner of Roadrunner Bicycles, 6177 E. Broadway Blvd., far left, helps Ethan Sasz, far right, and his son, Evan, 10, with a mountain bike purchase on April 22, 2020. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has not slowed down bike shops. With many people at home, they are bringing bicycles for repairs and buying new ones for exercise. Dumont says he's booked out till the first week of May for tuneups on bikes.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Marcella Montoya waits in her vehicle as general manger David Kessler brings out her order, as Bear Canyon Pizza serving their customers despite COVID-19 restrictions, April 22, 2020, 蜜柚直播, Ariz.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Kitchen manger Koa Hoffmann tosses dough while working up a crust for a call-in order as he and few others keep cooking at Bear Canyon Pizza despite COVID-19 restrictions, April 22, 2020, 蜜柚直播, Ariz.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Alvaro Enciso, a local artist, works in one of his studios at his home on April 9, 2020. Every Tuesday Enciso travels into the Sonoran desert to post crosses where migrants have died after crossing illegally over the U.S./Mexico border as part of a project he's titled Donde Mueren Los Suenos / Where Dreams Die. With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease his six year project is on hold and instead he works on other artwork at home.
蜜柚直播, coronavirus

Dolly Spalding works on a pen and ink drawing in her apartment at the Redondo Tower Apartments on April 7, 2020. During her quarantine, Spalding has been creating drawings of all the Greek goddesses. She is collaborating with Emlyn Boyle, an artist from Ireland, and plans to publish a book with Boyle's writings.