Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on May 7 that, beginning next week, antibody testing will be offered on an appointment-only basis for approximately two weeks in Morrisania, East New York, Upper Manhattan, Concord, and Long Island City.

 

Through a partnership with BioReference labs, the City will conduct its own antibody survey at community testing sites in the five boroughs to better understand the spread of COVID-19. The survey will test approximately 70,000 New Yorkers over an initial two-week period, with the capacity to administer up to 5,000 tests per day.

 

Scheduling will open this Friday via a dedicated hotline, and individual test results will be available in 24 to 48 hours. Through a partnership with the US Department of Health and Human Services and CDC, the City will also administer 140,000 antibody tests for health care workers and first responders across FDNY, DOC, NYPD, and hospitals citywide.

 

A new study of 1,343 people in the New York area found that nearly everyone who has had the coronavirus, even those who experienced only mild symptoms, makes antibodies at levels that may confer future protection against the disease. The duration of the anticipated protection is currently unknown. 

 

“So many New Yorkers are wondering whether they’ve had the virus, or if they’ve exposed their own families,” De Blasio said. “While antibody tests are not a fix-all solution, they will give our communities the knowledge they need to help us defeat this virus together.”