CDC has developed a new laboratory test to assist with efforts to determine how much of the U.S. population has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The serology test looks for the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins made in response to infections. Antibodies can be found in the blood and in other tissues of those who are tested after infection.
The antibodies detected by this test indicate that a person had an immune response to SARS-CoV-2, whether symptoms developed from infection or the infection was asymptomatic.
Antibody test results are important in detecting infections with few or no symptoms. Currently, CDC’s serologic test is designed and validated for broad-based surveillance and research