Massive demand, inaccurate results, and doctors misusing the antibody tests (most of them made in China.)

The rollout of antibody blood tests all over the US is raising many doubts among the officials and medical experts. Whether people have developed immunity to COVID-19 or not, the scientists firmly state that we still have problems with the diagnostics test, which leads us to suspect the accuracy of the antibody tests.

Without a government vetting, the FDA has allowed over 90 China-based companies to flood the American market with antibody tests with “dubious quality”, according to the executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, Scott Becker.

While some are mistaking the antibody tests for diagnosing the disease, companies and academic researchers are trying to improve the quality of the already existing ones. Some of the antibody tests are so faulty that they show people developed immunity when they didn’t. However, President Trump is cheering the FDA approval of these tests hoping that Americans can get back to work.

Screening 100,000 people a day in New York, could eventually bring back life to normal, according to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Experts compare the antibody tests to the home pregnancy tests and insist on lab-based testing for immunity to COVID-19.

People who have recovered from COVID-19 not necessarily develop immunity according to researchers.

Most of the rapid antibody tests cost the patients between $60 and $115 and can be easily purchased at doctors’ offices.

For more information on this topic check out the following link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/19/us/coronavirus-antibody-tests.html