Fauci: COVID-19 antibody test coming

A test to identify people who have fought off COVID-19 could be on the way. Developers expect “a rather large number of tests” for the disease’s antibody will be available within a week, the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN on Friday morning.

Why test those who’ve already recovered? Fauci said that knowing who has the antibodies and how many are out there, including those who are asymptomatic, would help medical workers on the front lines and could lead to a decision as to when to reopen the country. “If their antibody test is positive, one can formulate strategies about whether or not they would be at risk or vulnerable to getting reinfected,” he said. Fauci added that testing for those who are showing symptoms would continue.

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report on battle-tested medical workers.