Dr. Anthony Fauci in the Friday, April 10 White House COVID-19 Task Force briefing said he believes the United States will have antibody tests soon, probably within a week.  The antibody tests will allow doctors to test people and see if they have had COVID-19.  The benefit to the test is determining how much COVID-19 has actually been in the United States, since people can have COVID-19 and have no symptoms.

The assumption is that people who have had COVID-19, diagnosed or not, symptoms or not, should have some immunity to the disease.  Health experts will have to work to determine the level of immunity.  But if people have had COVID-19, they may be able to get back to work and to “normal” life.  Even when the antibody tests are available nationally, Hawaii State Department of Health has not said when Hawaii might get antibody tests.

In the briefing, Fauci said the antibody test work is being done in parallel with ensuring there are adequate tests to tell if somebody has COVID-19, which is a completely different test.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is looked at as one of the most believable doctors about COVID-19, and is on the White House COVID-19 Task Force.

Dr. Fauci was appointed director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infection Diseases (NIAID) in 1984. He oversees an extensive portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika.

Dr. Fauci has advised six presidents on HIV/AIDS and many other domestic and global health issues.  President Donald Trump often turns to him in the White House briefings when medical questions come up.