‘Immunity certificates’ will be key to reopening Missouri’s economy safely

It now seems rather quaint, but at the first meeting of the Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention on March 9, legislators sat in a packed committee room, filled to the brim with coughing and sneezing spectators and press. It was then that legislators asked medical experts questions such as, “Do you think we will see the novel coronavirus here in Missouri?”

This scene is emblematic of our overall response to the coronavirus pandemic, which is to say that it has been behind the curve every step of the way.

The lack of a focused, unifying plan has led to a wait-and-see approach to the reopening of our society and our economy. Just this week, Mayor Quinton Lucas hinted that Kansas City’s stay-at-home order would be in place for an additional three weeks, extending this interminable time period of social distancing.

With each week, thousands more lose their jobs. Livelihoods are destroyed and extended families are separated. There is a better way to resume our lives, slowly and safely.

Any plan to reopen our society must include rapid, widespread testing that provides immediate results. However, standard polymerase chain reaction tests for the coronavirus won’t suffice, although they will still remain important. We need another type of test: a serology test.

People who have previously had a viral infection (symptomatic or not) carry virus-fighting cells called antibodies, which remain in their bloodstream. A serology test tells us if these people have developed antibodies to the virus. Past exposure and recovery make it much less likely that these people will get ill from the virus.

People who have antibodies to the current coronavirus could then receive what have been referred to as “immunity certificates” by the press. Awkward as the term might sound, that is precisely what they would be. Obtaining this information for as many people as possible would be the most effective tool to curb the spread of the disease since social distancing measures were put into place. It would allow us to continue to bend the curve until a vaccine and treatment are finally developed.

Imagine, for instance, that the residents and employees of a nursing home were antibody tested. All of the residents who had previously been infected and had recovered could reside in one wing of the home. They could also be served by employees who had also been infected and developed antibodies. They could be completely isolated from those who have not been exposed to the virus.

Think about the first responders and hospital workers who care directly for COVID-19 patients, too. Many hospitals have COVID units, which could be staffed by those that have been exposed and developed antibodies to the virus rather than unexposed workers, who could be placed in a different, safer unit. The health care professionals we now call heroes should all have access to antibody testing for their personal safety.

With the widespread use of antibody testing, health experts and epidemiologists could see where hot spots are located in the state and work to find out where and how the infection is spreading. This data could also help scientists decide where to allocate resources, and perhaps even where to ease stay-at-home restrictions.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says a “rather large number” of these tests will be available within days. With the federal funds that are now on their way, Missouri should immediately prioritize acquiring serology test kits for first responders, health care workers and nursing home residents. When more tests become available, the general population should get tested for their and their family’s protection. Aggregating the information we learn from these tests would then allow the state finally to start getting ahead of the curve, and even speed up the reopening of our society.

Jonathan Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit and a practicing general surgeon, represents District 30 in the Missouri House of Representatives. He is chair of the House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention.

This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "‘Immunity certificates’ will be key to reopening Missouri’s economy safely."