Maricopa County COVID-19 antibody testing for ‘serosurvey’ ends Sunday
Sep 17, 2020, 4:45 AM
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
PHOENIX — There are only a few days left to participate in a survey to determine who has been infected with the coronavirus in Maricopa County.
The county’s public health department is leading the “serosurvey” in partnership with Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic. As of Wednesday, 63 households of the 168 needed, or 38%, had participated. They have until Sunday to reach their goal.
“We need help from everyone eligible to please strongly consider participating,” Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, said at a press conference Wednesday.
“It’s quick. Only about 20 minutes for a single person and slightly longer if you have others in your household that participate.”
Teams are going door-to-door in 29 communities across the county to do antibody blood tests, which can identify people who’ve been exposed to the coronavirus and might have immunity. The communities were chosen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Participants can do the antibody test outside their home or by making an appointment at a mobile medical clinic.
Flanagan said the serosurvey will help determine how many people will need the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available to stop the spread of the virus. It will also help determine when to relax social distancing and mask mandates.
“We are still hoping to reach our goal,” she said. “We’re really pushing a blitz forward for the next few days.”
If the goal of surveying a minimum of 168 households isn’t reached by Sunday, Flanagan said data collection will be extended “by just a couple of days in hopes to reach that target.”
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