The non-profit blood collector Vitalant announced Monday that it will screen donors for COVID-19 antibodies without charge, using an antibody test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The test determines if a person’s immune system has produced antibodies to the novel coronavirus, regardless of whether they had any symptoms. Results would be available after about two weeks.
A spokesman noted that the presence of the antibodies doesn’t mean immunity to the disease. Blood collection agencies and the Red Cross said last week that blood supplies are low in Southern Nevada because so many blood drives have been canceled.