No, an individual’s positive antibody results are based on the test’s defined criteria for sensitivity and specificity, referred to as their thresholds or cutoff. It’s important to note that not all COVID-19 antibody tests detect the same regions of the virus, which can lead to differing results. Additionally, if an individual’s antibody levels are very low, detection may be inconsistent.
As with all tests, false positives, or a test result that incorrectly states the presence of antibodies, can occur. On Sept. 21, the Red Cross began secondary testing of donations that come back positive to confirm COVID-19 antibody test results for donors.