U.S. employers wary of coronavirus 'immunity' tests as they move to reopen [View all]
Source: Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. employers have cooled to the idea of testing workers for possible immunity to the coronavirus as they prepare to reopen factories and other workplaces.
Blood tests that check for antibodies to the new coronavirus have been touted by governments and some disease experts as a way to identify people who are less likely to fall ill or infect others. Italian automaker Ferrari NV has made antibody testing central to its “Back on Track” project to restarting factories.
But many U.S. companies are not planning to use them, relying on face masks, temperature checks, social distancing, and diagnostic tests for those with symptoms, employers and healthcare experts told Reuters.
Mercer, which advises companies on healthcare benefits, has surveyed more than 700 U.S. employers in industries from high tech to retail to energy, and found 8% of companies said they would include antibody tests in plans to screen employees.
(This story has been refiled to change spelling to Zieg from Zeig in paragraph six)
Reporting by Caroline Humer, Timothy Aeppel and Krystal Hu in New York and Ben Klayman in Detroit; editing by Michele Gershberg and Nick Zieminski
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-employers-testing/u-s-employers-wary-of-coronavirus-immunity-tests-as-they-move-to-reopen-idUSKBN22R1O9?il=0
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