Mayo Clinic could begin rolling out an antibody test as early as next week

Mayo Clinic is close to releasing a crucial test that would help researchers better understand the scope of the COVID-19 outbreak, and potentially lead to therapies for patients experiencing acute symptoms.

Dr. Elitza Theel, director of Mayo's Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory, says the test, which will be able to detect the presence of antibodies specific to the novel coronavirus, could be made available as early as next week.

In an interview today on the MPR News program “All Things Considered,” Theel said given the limited supply, the initial roll-out will likely be slow. The hope, however, is that commercial manufacturers will ramp up efforts in the next few weeks so it can be made “available much more widely.”

What the test can tell us

The development of the test comes at a pivotal time, with current models suggesting Minnesota is just weeks away from the peak of the pandemic.

While the antibody, or “serologic,” test is not a useful tool in determining whether a patient currently experiencing symptoms has the disease (those tests are already available), it can confirm whether an individual has recovered from COVID-19 and if they have active immunity.

Researchers can then use that data to identify which personal characteristics and environmental factors may potentially play a role in how severely the virus affects particular groups of people.

"By identifying what percentage of the population has been infected, we can better determine how far the virus has spread," Theel said for an article published in Mayo’s Discovery's Edge research magazine. "And at some point, we will reach a peak level of infection, at which point we will have reached herd immunity, when fewer individuals will be at risk of infection."

Identifying whether a patient has immunity — regardless of whether they were previously symptomatic — also has the immediate benefit of informing who may be able to resume normal activity.

As one health reporter with the Washington Post remarked this week, the antibody test is behind “almost every plan to restart society.”

“The theory is that such testing could be used to divide the world into people who’ve had it and aren’t at risk anymore — and those who are,” wrote reporter Carolyn Johnson. “Health-care workers with immunity could return to the front lines. Large employers could test their workers to find out who could return to work first. Health insurers might use the tests to tell members whether it is risky to go out into the world. People who know they have a level of immunity could help others.”

Potential for a new treatment option

The serologic test may also have a direct impact in the clinical setting.

With a vaccine, by most estimates, at least 12-18 months away, and other therapies still in the early stages of clinical trials, researchers are exploring the possibility of using antibodies to combat the disease.

The process is called passive immunity, and it works by taking antibodies from an infected person and infusing them into a sick person. In some cases, these infusions of plasma can prevent infection or boost an immune response to fight the disease. The approach has previously been used to combat other diseases, such as polio, measles, and the flu.

“Mayo Clinic and other institutions are working very hard, collaborating with industry to make sure that we can have adequate supply to test if this is going to make a difference — and I'm hopeful that it will,” said Mayo President and CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia during an interview this past weekend with CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

In addition to its research on antibody treatments, Mayo is also working on a number of other initiatives aimed at mitigating the impacts of this pandemic.

That includes joining the push to develop a vaccine that would prevent people from contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

According to a post to the Mayo Clinic News Network, Mayo is investigating several different approaches in its search for a vaccine. The Clinic has also entered into discussions with biotechnology firms and pharmaceutical companies about co-developing and testing potential vaccines.

But even with the progress being made, its researchers caution that we are still a ways away before a vaccine is available for general use.

"Everyone wants to have a vaccine ready right now," said Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo infectious diseases specialist. "Researchers around the globe and at Mayo Clinic are working as fast as they can to make it happen. But before we have a vaccine for general use, we have to make sure it is properly developed and tested."

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.

Cover photo courtesy Mayo Clinic