NEW YORK — New York City will test 140,000 people for coronavirus antibodies between next week and early June, Mayor Bill de Blasio announces today.
The antibody tests, which indicate whether a person has been infected with the virus at some point, will be offered for free by appointment at five locations around the city, de Blasio says. The results will be available to the individual in one to two days and will also be used for epidemiological research, he says.
Researchers have said it is unclear whether antibodies for the coronavirus provide immunity or whether people who test positive for the antibodies can still be sickened by the virus.
“We are not promising people a rose garden here,” de Blasio says. “We’re not saying the antibody test is the last word. It’s not. But it tells you something.”
The city will use tests made by BioReference Laboratories for the free testing program.
— AP
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