NIH begins study to quantify undetected cases of coronavirus infection

I’ve posted recently about serologic tests for coronavirus antibodies, and about the big question of how many asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections there have been. So I’m very pleased to see this press release from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Government scientists have developed an in-house test that will take tiny blood samples from people and see if the blood contains antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Agencies of NIH will test up to 10,000 healthy adult volunteers to “illuminate the extent to which the novel coronavirus has spread undetected in the United States and provide insights into which communities and populations are most affected.”

“This study will give us a clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by telling us how many people in different communities have been infected without knowing it, because they had a very mild, undocumented illness or did not access testing while they were sick,” said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID director. “These crucial data will help us measure the impact of our public health efforts now and guide our COVID-19 response moving forward.”

Amy Rogers, MD, PhD, is a scientist, novelist, journalist, and educator. Learn more about Amy’s science thriller novels, or download a free ebook on the scientific backstory of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging infections, at AmyRogers.com.

Do you like my science journalism? Read Science in the Neighborhood and learn, where does my tap water come from? How are mosquitoes managed? What happens after I flush? Where does my electricity come from?

Share this: