Abbott Laboratories is launching a COVID-19 antibody test and will ship nearly 1 million tests this week, the company said April 15.
The antibody test will determine whether someone has been infected with and recovered from COVID-19. The CDC has said that as many as 25 percent to 50 percent of people with COVID-19 might not show symptoms, so antibody tests can help determine the full spread of the virus.
Antibody tests also can help determine if antibodies provide protection against reinfection and support development of treatments and vaccines, according to Forbes.
Abbott said after sending the first million tests this week, it will ramp up production and send 4 million tests by the end of the month. By June, the company said it will ship 20 million tests per month.
Read the full news release here.