LabCorp mentioned on Thursday that it has launched a new test that will be able to assess the capacity of antibodies in patient plasma for inhibiting the novel coronavirus or COVID-19.
The information from the test about the virus-fighting ability of the antibodies can be useful in developing the vaccine for the deadly novel virus that is creating a major stir around the world, the company said.
LabCorp Launches New Test
The test, called the neutralizing antibody test, would be available to biopharmaceutical companies, hospitals, blood banks and other blood plasma-screening facilities. Neutralizing antibodies are associated with protective immunity against re-infection for many infectious pathogens, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The test could be used in screening serum collected from recovered COVID-19 patients for preventive and therapeutic use, the company said. The company made its COVID-19 tests available at workplaces last month and it also provides lab tests and antibody blood tests that can tell whether a person has ever been infected, as well as kits that allow people to mail in their own nasal swab samples collected at home.
(With agency inputs)
