Access to reliable antibody tests regarding immune status and making these tests available to a large number of Americans is a high priority for Kaiser Permanente and the nation. Many companies are working to develop and provide antibody tests and are moving through the Federal Drug Administrative (FDA) review process. Several have already been approved by the FDA through its expedited emergency review process.
Production of approved tests is increasing rapidly and availability should improve over the coming weeks. However, there are still questions about the accuracy and validity of the antibody tests, how they should be used and how results should be interpreted. Because these tests are in the early stages of review, there is a reasonable concern regarding false positive test results and misinterpretation of information by the general public. Inaccurate diagnoses during a pandemic can impair prevention efforts and delay appropriate treatment for sick patients.
We will continue to follow the guidance of Federal and State medical and public health experts, in addition to our own infectious disease medical experts. We are making every effort to develop the capacity to provide the tests to members, where appropriate, as soon as fully vetted and approved tests are available. (Updated 4/27/20)