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UAMS to build state 'gold standard' antibody testing capacity to guide reopening plans
Summary
UAMS told the committee it is using CARES Act funds to set up a 'gold standard' antibody testing program with capacity for thousands of tests per day to support seroprevalence studies, oversample high-risk groups and inform school and workplace reopening.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences leaders told the Senate committee they are setting up a state-level antibody-testing capability to provide reliable seroprevalence information and to avoid reliance on variable commercial tests.
Chancellor Cam Patterson said the CARES Act committee provided resources to develop an in-state assay and that UAMS plans to run between 3,000 and 6,000 antibody tests per day. "The governor and the cares act committee have asked UAMS to develop a gold standard antibody test for the state, and to provide the capacity to do 3,000 to 6,000 antibody tests a day for the state," Patterson said. He said the work has three aims: to create a reliable test Arkansans can trust, to run seroprevalence studies that oversample high-risk groups (African Americans, Latinos, Pacific Islanders) and to expand capacity so shortages experienced early in the pandemic do not recur.
Dr. Stefan Mehta added that antibody tests are most useful for assessing prevalence rather than diagnosing active infection and that PCR remains the diagnostic standard. Committee members asked whether antibody results would influence models; UAMS said prevalence data would help refine assumptions and policy decisions about schools and other congregate settings.
What's next: UAMS officials said they are implementing assays, with the stated capacity goal and a plan to share methods and results with state health officials to inform public-policy choices about reopening.
