CDC beginning COVID-19 antibody survey Tuesday in Georgia counties
A phlebotomist shows specimens of people getting tested for coronavirus antibodies in New York. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are about to start an antibody testing survey in an effort to better understand how many Georgians may have already been infected with the coronavirus.
Officials say that between Tuesday, April 28 and May 4, public health teams will be visiting homes in Fulton and DeKalb County.
At each home, members of the household will be asked to answer a few survey questions and provide a blood sample that will be used to test for antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, which would show whether they had previously been infected with COVID-19. Participation is voluntary.
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Both Fulton and DeKalb counties were chosen because officials say transmission of confirmed cases of coronavirus are still occurring in the counties. The areas, defined by census blocks, as well as the homes, have been randomly selected.
“We encourage everyone who is visited by the teams to participate in this very important survey that can help public health officials assess how widespread COVID-19 is in certain areas,” Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen E. Toomey. “This is another way that Georgians can play a role in helping fight this virus.”
Teams involved in the survey will have CDC vests, badges, and an official letter from the CDC and Georgia DPH.
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While the tests can't determine if a person has an active infection at the time it is taken, officials say it can help identify people who were infected and never had symptoms.
Officials say the results of the study could help provide important information to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
Know how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Georgia
For more information about the serosurvey, visit the CDC's website.
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