A new test for COVID-19 antibodies has been developed in Kalamazoo. The project is a joint effort by the biotech firm IONTOX and the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M-D School of Medicine. Greg Vanden Heuvel is the school's associate dean for research. He says there are two kinds of antibodies that fight the corona virus:
"And this particular test can measure both of those, and it can also measure how much antibody, which is called the titer," said Vanden Heuvel.
Vanden Heuvel says the test can not only detect antibodies. It can also tell how many a person has:
"What we're hoping is that we can determine the level of antibodies that are required for immunity," says Vanden Heuvel.
Vanden Heuvel says knowing how many antibodies a person has could help other researchers develop a vaccine for COVID-19.