New blood test could improve COVID-19 defenses assessment

MDLinx (June 15, 2022) – A new blood test that measures T cells may yield more accurate information about the body’s ability to control the coronavirus than tests that measure antibodies, researchers say.

Unlike antibodies, T cells do not prevent infection from occurring, “but they protect from disease,” said study co-author Dr. Antonio Bertoletti of Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, in an email. They “recognize the infected cells… and destroy them. T cells are also important for the efficient maturation of B cells, (which) also help to produce antibodies,” he said.

New blood test could improve COVID-19 defenses assessment | MDLinx