University of Denver scientists have developed a new COVID-19 antibody test that has received an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 

The test predicts the severity of symptoms for someone infected with the novel coronavirus. Researchers found differing “antibody profiles” between COVID-19-positive patients with mild symptoms versus those with severe symptoms.

“We also discovered that individuals who have been vaccinated for the flu in the past year exhibited more mild symptoms than those who had not,” Daniel Linseman, associate executive director of the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, told DU’s campus news service. “We found that individuals who experienced the loss of taste or smell also tested positive for COVID antibodies, making this symptom an important aspect of reporting in the clinic.”

The university announced that researchers are using their findings to explore the susceptibility of people with severe concussions or brain trauma to COVID-19. The DU scientists worked with Vibrant Sciences LLC and Resilience Code to develop the test.

Harvard Medical School advises that an antibody test could be useful for people to diagnose their long-term symptoms, but cautions about interpreting the results in a manner that influences behavior.

“Even an accurate positive antibody test does not guarantee that you now are immune to the virus: it can cause you to mistakenly believe that you no longer need to protect yourself and others by physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing,” the school warned.