Jan. 2, 2022 - Blood donors will know more about the status of their immunity to COVID-19 thanks to a new antibody testing method offered by the Coffee Memorial Blood Center
The new testing runs January 3 – January 31 and individual results will give donors a broader understanding of their bodies’ immune response, whether those antibodies come from natural infection or the vaccine and boosters.
Previously, Coffee Memorial Blood Center’s ability to test for donors’ COVID exposure was limited to a detectable immune response from prior infection. The improved method will also detect if an individual has antibodies from receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Offering this important knowledge to our donors is just one more way we are proud to positively impact public health,” said Dr. John Armitage, Coffee Memorial Blood Center president and CEO. “COVID will continue to be a major concern through 2022 and, in fact, over the next several years. We are committed to providing donors valuable information about their health from blood samples we routinely collect, including immune responsiveness to COVID and metabolic function from total cholesterol screenings. We are fortunate to offer these services through our own labs, without the need to outsource testing.”
As understanding of the virus advances, knowing if an individual has detectable immunity to COVID may well be beneficial in future health decisions, including assessing the risk of reinfection or transmission. Being aware of individual’s immune status could eventually factor into informed decisions around timing booster vaccines, attending large public gatherings or gathering with friends and family.
Coffee Memorial Blood Center has performed antibody testing of hundreds of thousands of donors in several previous phases of the pandemic.
Appointments to donate can be made online at yourbloodinstitute.org by calling 806-331-8833. More information on Coffee Memorial Blood Center can be found at thegiftoflife.org.
*16-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year olds must weigh at least 110 pounds. Photo ID required. While supplies last. Donors ages 16 or 17-years old need parental consent to be screened for COVID-19 antibodies. This test has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) for use by authorized laboratories. The test has been authorized only for the detection of the antibody IgG antibody against SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. Test results will be made available post-donation on the donor portal.
