Results

COVID-19 antibody test results could be:

• Positive. A positive test means you have COVID-19 antibodies in your blood, which indicates past infection with the virus. It's possible to have a positive test result even if you never had any symptoms of COVID-19. False-positive test results can occur. It may be that the test detected antibodies to a coronavirus closely related to the COVID-19 virus or that the test quality was flawed.
• Negative. A negative test means that you have no COVID-19 antibodies, so you probably were not infected with the COVID-19 virus in the past. Because it takes time for antibodies to develop, false-negative test results can happen if the blood sample is collected too soon after your infection started. In some cases, the test may be flawed.

People who have had COVID-19 or tested positive for antibodies should not assume they're protected from getting a COVID-19 infection again. Researchers are trying to determine if antibodies provide some immunity to the COVID-19 virus, what the level of protection is and how long immunity may last.

Until more is known, even if your test results show that you have COVID-19 antibodies, continue to take precautions — including wearing a face mask in public, frequently washing your hands and practicing social distancing — to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.