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There are different kinds of testing. The current testing that's reported in the media is an antigen tests, that directly tests for the presence of the virus.
by ncallaway 7y ago
There are different kinds of testing.
The current testing that's reported in the media is an antigen tests, that directly tests for the presence of the virus. Once your viral load comes down, you will test negative for the virus. Hence the reason people are declared recovered after having two negative tests in a row.
A test for the presence of antibodies is a serology test. The last time I looked into it (~one week ago), serology tests were under active development, but had not been deployed anywhere in a widespread way.
So, right now the testing will only tell you if you currently have the virus. Coming relatively soon are tests that will tell you if you previously had the virus.