Safety & Health

All MD Firefighters to Receive COVID-19 Antibody Tests

Sept. 22, 2020

Serology testing will be administered to Maryland's career and volunteer firefighters in order to help determine the prevalence of the virus and prevent its transmission, Gov. Larry Hogan said.

By Greg Swatek

Source The Frederick News-Post, Md.

COVID-19 antibody testing kits at Vanguard Genetics Alliance DNA Laboratory in Las Cruces, NM.

Editor's note: Find Firehouse.com's complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that all professional and volunteer firefighters in Maryland will receive serology tests for COVID-19.

Serology testing uses blood samples to look for antibodies made in response to a previous COVID-19 infection. It is not a diagnostic test, but it will provide a clearer picture of how many Maryland residents have been exposed to COVID-19.

"Our firefighters are on the front lines of emergency response, which greatly increases their risk to exposure to COVID-19," Hogan said in a press release. "Serology testing helps our health officials determine the prevalence of the virus, so we can have a better idea about how to prevent transmissions and help protect our essential workforce."

———

Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.