Norman Lab Begins Testing For Coronavirus Antibodies

A lab in Norman has begun testing for COVID-19 antibodies.

What they learn could lead to Oklahomans getting back to work sooner and might help some of us fend off the virus.

It’s really just as simple as a minor stick, and in a few days, you get the results. A positive result means you have been exposed to the virus and have developed antibodies to fight it off.

“An antibody would confer immunity. So say for example the flu virus, if you develop antibodies, you are protected,” said Sean Bauman, CEO of IMMY Labs.

Related: State Health Officials, Local Lab To Begin Antibody Testing For Coronavirus This Week 

We don’t know for this particular virus whether antibodies definitely mean immunity, but there is a lot of hope that they will to help develop vaccines, and to provide what’s called convalescent plasma.

“(Convalescent plasma is ) where you’re basically giving blood from people who have recovered to people that are sick. That method is actually a technique that was used in the 1800s,” Bauman said.

It also gives the state data to determine when and where to begin allowing businesses to re-open.

IMMY Labs has already tested about 1,000 samples, but has the capacity to test many more; eventually capable of testing up to 5,000 a day.

“We have about 100,000 tests on hand. We have another million tests, the materials for that that are on their way here or they are here,” Bauman said.

IMMY doesn’t collect the samples; that could be done by hospitals, doctors offices and nursing facilities.

“They needed samples and I have a whole bunch of nurses and locations across the state, so I thought we’d partner up and provide the samples for the lab,” said Trent Smith with Accentra Home Health & Hospice.

“Really this is the first opportunity that any state has had to have these tools in their tool belt to try to assess this particular virus that we really know very little about,” Bauman said.

Click here to learn more about where to get tested.