<\/p>\n The push to start measuring COVID-19 immunity is gaining steam, with several provinces hinting at plans to roll out blood tests that could pave the way for a return to some semblance of normal everyday life.<\/p>\n So-called serology tests measure the amount of antibodies that appear in the blood after someone has battled an infection \u2014 including those who don’t even know they had COVID-19 because they didn’t meet testing criteria, didn’t seek care or had mild or no symptoms.<\/p>\n This data is important for policy makers deciding when to ease restrictions, says epidemiologist Patrick Saunders-Hastings, director of life sciences and environmental health at Gevity Consulting Inc.<\/p>\n Without it, our picture of COVID-19’s spread in Canada remains incomplete \u2014\u00a0diagnostic laboratory tests now in use largely focus on high-risk groups and only capture people actively infected with the virus.<\/p>\n “That’s where serological testing comes in,” says Saunders-Hastings.<\/p>\n “We just can’t \u2014\u00a0won’t \u2014\u00a0get those counts from the traditional laboratory testing.”<\/p>\n Indications various provinces are eager to begin a new phase in detection include ongoing work by the BC Centre for Disease Control to develop a test with the National Microbiology Lab.<\/p>\n Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said Thursday by email that a serology test “should be hopefully coming online in the coming week to ten days.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Alberta’s medical health officer has said her province will nearly triple daily tests in the next month, in part by adding a yet-to-be-approved blood test that reveals who in the community has been exposed to COVID-19.<\/p>\n “Ultimately, our testing goal by mid-to-late May would be approximately 20,000 tests a day. That would be a combination of swab tests as well as serology \u2014 the blood tests,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said earlier this week.<\/p>\n A spokesperson\u00a0for Alberta Health adds that the province’s public health lab is also working with the National Microbiology Lab to validate multiple serological tests, which would only be used to determine past infection, not current ones.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer has said his province, too, had partnered with the Public Health Agency of Canada to investigate serological tests.<\/p>\n Dr. Saqib Shahab predicted Saturday that a serological test “will be available over the next few weeks.”<\/p>\n “Over time that will be essential for us to know: How widely has COVID 19 spread? Which age groups is it impacting more? Which age groups and which populations mount the strong immune response?” he said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.5535899.1587136376!\/cpImage\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/16x9_780\/covid-immunity-test-20200417.jpg\")
<\/img><\/p>\n<\/div>Alberta tripling daily tests<\/h2>\n
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