
How A Coronavirus Blood Test Could Solve Some Medical Mysteries
Listen
BY RICHARD HARRIS
As the coronavirus spreads more widely around the globe, scientists are starting to use a powerful new tool: a blood test that identifies people who have previously been exposed to the virus. This kind of test is still under development in the United States, but it has been rolled out for use in Singapore and China.
The current lab test used in the United States identifies people who are currently spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. That’s crucial information, but that test doesn’t reveal who had previously been infected. That’s important too for understanding the unfolding epidemic.
The other test, used widely in science and medicine, detects antibodies that people produce after they’ve become infected with a bacterium or virus. Those antibodies can appear in the blood one to three weeks after infection, and they’re part of the immune system’s response to infection.
The antibody-based tests can identify people who were not known to be infected “either because they never developed symptoms, or they had symptoms that were never correctly diagnosed,” says Lauren Ancel Meyers, a biology professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
Related Stories:

The science of smoke and health
As wildfires become more prevalent, researchers are looking at how their smoke could affect health outcomes. Continue Reading The science of smoke and health

Scientists discover ‘turtle power’ could help monitor radioactive materials
A giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. (Courtesy of Courtney Flatt.) Listen (Runtime 1:13) Read Northwest researchers have discovered that turtle shells can help track radioactive material… Continue Reading Scientists discover ‘turtle power’ could help monitor radioactive materials

Shark sighting in Idaho remains a mystery
On August 16th, a salmon shark was reported on the shores of the Salmon River in Riggins, Idaho. How the shark ended up on the beach is still unknown. (Credit:… Continue Reading Shark sighting in Idaho remains a mystery