The new Covid-19 antibody test has the ability to predict whether a patient will experience mild versus more severe symptoms of the virus

Covidtest

The University of Denver scientists work inside the lab at the Knoebel Institute for healthy aging. (Credit: PRNewswire / University of Denver)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for a new Covid-19 antibody test developed by the University of Denver.

The University of Denver’s Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging has teamed with Resilience Code’s clinicians and Vibrant Sciences for the development and studying of the new test.

Resilience Code is a Denver functional medicine and human performance clinic, while Vibrant Sciences is a California-based company.

The new antibody test has the potential to predict whether a patient will experience mild versus more severe symptoms of the virus. The testing will be conducted at Vibrant America Clinical Labs based in California.

With the support of a new test, researchers discovered various antibody profiles between those who tested positive for Covid-19 and had severe symptoms versus those with milder symptoms.

The antibody test is suitable for the identification of individuals who were exposed to Covid-19 but have been asymptomatic. These individuals are expected to have antibodies, which could protect them from re-infection.

The University of Denver’s researchers is currently using the results to assess whether individuals with a history of severe concussions or other brain trauma are more affected by the virus and its long-term consequences.

University of Denver chancellor Jeremy Haefner said: “This breakthrough has the ability to give doctors a head start on treatment and speed up the process of diagnosing patients.

“I’m proud of this achievement by DU scientists and their collaboration with other researchers to make this important discovery.”

Last month, COVAXX secured FDA EUA status for its UBI SARS-CoV-2 qualitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for Covid-19.