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The Fascinating Antibody Experiment Happening in One Colorado County
A blood test could tell how many people have been infected with the new coronavirus
Colorado’s San Miguel County is best known for its ski resorts and arts festivals, but lately it’s gained national attention for an effort to provide all of its 8,000 residents with a coronavirus blood test.
The test is unlike the one being offered across the United States. Instead of diagnosing people who are currently sick with Covid-19, it’s meant to uncover those who have been infected with the new coronavirus without knowing it. This is important because these people may now be immune to the virus — at least for some period of time. The test could be the key to reopening workplaces and allowing people to return to their normal lives.
“Anyone who’s been infected gets the relief of knowing that they’re probably immune and they can go on with their regular lives. That’s a huge load off your chest,” says Stephen Elledge, PhD, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School whose lab is working on such a test.
San Miguel County is the first in the country to provide this kind of widespread testing. Its tests are being donated by Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese, a married couple who live part of the year in the county seat of…
