Sonoma County officials have announced that starting Saturday, June 6, the county will begin testing certain individuals for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Testing will initially target first responders, including paramedics, law enforcement and firefighters, as well as county residents who previously tested positive for the novel coronavirus and their household members.
The county will conduct tests at the public health lab in Santa Rosa, with plans to expand to select hospitals and health centers.
While PCR swab tests reveal if someone currently has the virus, antibody tests can show who has previously been infected, including those who were asymptomatic or weren’t able to get tested. Health departments can use the data to better understand the spread of COVID-19 in communities.
In a statement, the county said, “Data from the antibody testing will be used to evaluate the county’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and help inform decisions around reopening. This testing is not for the general public and is being done for surveillance purposes.”
The county says it will run approximately 110 antibody tests per day and hopes to test 3,500 people within the next four weeks.
Tests will be free and people can expect results within two weeks.
— Peter Arcuni (@peterarcuni)