SARS-CoV-2 antibody magnitude and detectability are driven by disease severity, timing, and assay

Our epidemiologists working in close partnership with our clinical and laboratory scientists measured antibodies on 128 LIINC participants over the first 6 months in the study. They used 14 different types of antibody tests – some of which are widely available in doctor’s offices and hospitals and others which are research-only – and found that the levels of antibodies depended on (1) how sick someone was during their initial illness, (2) how much time had passed since they were sick, and (3) the type of test used. These findings will shape how we think about the results of testing campaigns when antibodies are measured on large numbers of people trying to figure out who did and did not previously have SARS-CoV-2 infection.