Providence releases findings of COVID-19 antibody study | News

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – Providence researchers just released their findings of a COVID-19 antibody study, which looked at the positive rate of antibodies in healthcare workers.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute at Providence Cancer Institute in Portland.

The study tested more than 10,000 Providence employees or those affiliated with Providence.

Providence researchers conducted the study back in April during a time when lead researcher Doctor Rom Leidner says there was very little known about antibody levels in healthcare workers.

Leidner says there was a real concern that healthcare workers would be at highest risk of being exposed to COVID-19.

“Typically when you’re exposed to a virus your body develops antibodies against that virus that could protect you, help get rid of the virus and then protect you from getting that virus again,” Leidner said. “And it was important for me to mention that when we started this, little if anything was known about the antibody response to this virus. There are some viruses where the antibody response isn’t very strong. Right there are some viruses where you can have antibodies but it doesn’t help you.”

According to the study, 253 healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. That’s a little more than 2.5 percent.

“What that told us was that the strict social distancing, the mandatory PPE in the hospital, all of this was working,” Leidner said.

According to Providence, this study was conducted during April and May, when personal protective equipment was starting to become mandated, and it was during the peak period of the pandemic in Oregon.

So, how do the results of this study give researchers more clarity in the fight against COVID-19?

“Testing for antibodies may not be the way to know about this virus,” Leidner said. “And it remains a completely open question as far as I can tell whether having antibodies makes you immune or not.”

Leidner says the tests were conducted in a clinical laboratory with a machine that can run more than 1,000 tests per day.

He says you need a small amount of blood to run the test. The rest of the blood sample gets stored and can be used for future research in the fight against COVID-19.

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