COVID-19 antibody testing provided by Bristol Myers-Squibb for Mercer County’s first responders was held during the past week at the Dempster Fire Training Center in Lawrence.
Phlebotomists from Med Tech in Berlin were on hand to draw blood samples from any Mercer County first responder who requested it through their Office of Emergency Management. More than 400 first responders have taken advantage of the testing, according to information provided by the county.
The antibody test shows whether a person had been exposed to COVID-19 and then developed antibodies to fight the virus. While it hasn’t yet been determined whether this offers persistent immunity to the disease, it provides a baseline for research into that immunity, and plasma from people with the antibodies may help those suffering from the disease.