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CORONAVIRUS ANTIBODY STUDY UNDERWAY | County seeks information for future planning, policy decisions

A coronavirus antibody testing program and study is underway in Ventura County, aimed at determining the prevalence of people with antibodies in certain vulnerable populations to ensure the county is prepared for future responses to the virus.

“There’s still much we don’t know about the epidemiology of COVID-19,” said Dr. Paul Hsu, epidemiologist with UCLA, which is conducting the study. “We’re finding that this disease affects certain groups disproportionately, and this study will help us learn about populations that may not have been well-studied in the past.”

Antibody testing at Thousand Oaks free clinic aimed at tracing COVID-19's path

The uninsured, in many cases unemployed, people who lined up Wednesday at a Thousand Oaks free clinic for free produce, brown rice and antibody tests may be soldiers in the fight against COVID-19.

As part of a project expanding across Ventura County, patrons of the Westminister Free Clinic's health care and food distribution programs bared their arms for blood draws designed to reveal antibodies showing they once carried the coronavirus.

Ventura County works toward obtaining COVID-19 antibody tests

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the County of Ventura said it has been actively working with community partners to obtain antibody tests for the area.

The county said there is a race throughout the nation to acquire point-of-care COVID-19 antibody tests. This antibody testing, which is also called serologic testing or immunity testing, can reportedly reveal whether a person’s immune system has already created a response to the coronavirus.