CEO DATELINE - Association CEOs weigh in on COVID-19 antibody testing
CEO DATELINE - Association CEOs weigh in on COVID-19 antibody testing
- April 7, 2020 |
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Walt Williams
While most testing for COVID-19 has focused on determining whether a person has contracted the virus, there are increasing calls to step up testing on people who have survived the disease or come in contact with it to see if they have developed the antibodies needed to stave off further infection.
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Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro threw his support behind broadscale antibody testing in an op-ed published on the group's website on Friday. He reached his decision after his wife—a practicing surgeon—lost her sense of smell a few weeks ago and became frustrated that not only was she unable to get tested for COVID-19, but couldn't get tested later to see if she had developed antibodies to fight off the virus. (A reduced sense of smell and loss of taste occur in some people who test positive for COVID-19, including people who develop no other symptoms.)
Widespread testing would allow people who have developed an immunity to the virus to re-enter the workforce, Shapiro said.
"It is in our national interest to identify those who may have this immunity, so they can help care for others in need, protect those who haven't been exposed and lead our country out of the recession," he said.
Still, at least one association CEO says many of the antibody tests currently on the market are not reliable. Scott Becker, head of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, told CNN that regulatory changes made by the Trump administration have made it easier for companies to sell "crappy" tests in the U.S.
APHL labs won't use tests on the market because they are concerned about inaccurate results, Becker said. His group shared its concerns in an email to top officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"The public needs to understand that all tests are not created equal and that these tests could create dangerous scenarios by giving people a false sense of security," he said in the email.
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