A LEE'S SUMMIT LAB THATHELPED LEAD THE WAYFOR CORONAVIRUSTESTING IS NOWOFFERING A NEW TEST- TOLOOK FOR ANTIBODIES41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD EXPLAINSINSIDE THIS LEE'S SUMMITLAB,VIRACOR TEAMS AREPROCESSING AS MANYANTIBODY TESTS AS THEYCANTO HELP DETERMINE WHOMIGHT HAVE BEENEXPOSED TO THECORONAVIRUSMichelle Altrich/ ViracorPresidentIt's a really important part ofmanaging the pandemicANTIBODIES ARE PROTEINSTHE BODY MAKES TOATTACK A VIRUSIF SOMEONE HAS ACERTAIN ANTIBODY,IT COULD MEAN THEYEITHER HAD A VACCINE ORWERE INFECTED IN THEPAST WITH THE VIRUSWHETHER THEY KNEW ITOR NOTDr. Dana Hawkinson/ UniversityofKansas Health SystemWe would ultimately liketesting to be available foreveryone, just as if you got aninfluenza testIT TAKES TIME FORANTIBODIES TO DEVELOPANYWHERE FROM ONEWEEK TO A COUPLE OFWEEKS AFTER INITIALINFECTIONMichelle Altrich/ ViracorPresidentSince we know that early on inthe pandemic, we didn't haveenough testing to go around,there's no way to know howmany people have actuallyhad the virus unless we goback and look for a sign thatthey had it two months ago orthree months ago.

And that iswhat antibody testing can dofor usDOCTORS SAY EVEN IF ITCAN ACCURATELY DETECTANTIBODIESIT'S STILL UNKOWNWHETHER THAT MEANSYOUR PROTECTED FROMFUTURE INFECTIONDr. Dana Hawkinson/ UniversityofKansas Health SystemMaking sure if the testpositive, you really have hadthe disease.

And if it'snegative, you really haven't.We need to make sure theresults you get as individual bythis lab is fully accurateINFORMATION THAT MIGHTBE ABLE TO HELPDETERMINE WHO CANDONATE PLASMA ANDRETURN TO WORK, AMONGOTHER THINGSMichelle Altrich/ ViracorPresidentIt can give us an idea of whatreally is the prevalence of theinfection and that will helpmanaging the pandemic at avery large scaleREPORTING IN LEE