BOSTON — COVID-19 antibody testing is now available to the general public, but Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says the test that determines if someone previously had the virus is not even close to being accurate.
When Baker was asked about antibody testing by Boston 25 News, he explained, “I worry a lot people are going to draw conclusions from these results that, A, may not be accurate and, B, may be not be appropriate conclusions to draw from.”
The FDA has not agreed on which antibody testing is effective. The governor says about a third of the results are inaccurate. Baker is also concerned people will want the test to see if they are now immune. But health officials say there is no confirmed evidence of that.
“What the antibody test is going to tell you is who had it," Baker said. "Whether or not they are immune, no one is gong to know the answer to that.”
The governor supports the mass general plan to randomly test people in Boston because it involved a specific test, in which doctors there are confident.
The governor added that traditional COVID-19 testing and more reliable antibody testing will help make a difference down the road.
Baker told reporters, “I want to know how many of those folks, especially if they are in certain lines of work, are going to test positive. That’s going to be important because they are carriers.”
Download the free Boston 25 News app for up-to-the-minute push alerts
>> Complete local and national coronavirus coverage here
RESOURCES:
- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information
- Boston Coronavirus Information
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Watch Boston 25 NOW