New York scientists have created the first blood test to detect whether someone has already been infected by and developed immunity to coronavirus. Researchers at Mt Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine have made the first so-called serologic test for COVID-19 in the US, and they plan to roll it out in the next few days in its clinics. Drive-thru testing sites have cropped up across the US, including in California (pictured), but the serologic test will serve a different function. Mt Sinai uploaded step-by-step instructions for its test on Monday, to be used by other hospitals and research labs, Dr Florian Krammer, head of the microbiology labe that created the blood test told Leapsmag. Dr Krammer told Leapsmag that patients suspected of having coronavirus have their blood drawn regularly, and these samples can be analzyed with the serologic test without doing a new blood draw.

Source: Daily Mail March 23, 2020 23:34 UTC