KALAMAZOO, MI -- This week, Bronson Healthcare launched antibody testing to identify patients who have been exposed to COVID-19 but may have been asymptomatic or were not able to get tested.

The antibody test is not meant to determine if someone currently has COVID-19, said Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies, chief of quality for Bronson Medical Group.

The test is intended to see if the patient was exposed to the virus and has built up some immunity to it. Its too early to tell if someone who recovered from COVID-19 would have permanent immunity to the virus and not be susceptible to getting infected again, he said.

For things to truly return to the pre-COVID norm, we would need to understand that people are protected long-term, either for natural infection or for vaccination, he said. That data is really at least a year away.

The data collected from antibody testing will also give a fuller picture of how many people were infected with COVID-19, which is especially relevant in a county like Kalamazoo where testing was delayed or limited for the first several weeks of the pandemic.

It will be really important to understand the prevalence in our community, Lane-Davies said. And it will be really important as we begin to have access to a possible vaccine to ensure that people are creating an antibody response to that vaccine.

The antibody tests will also greatly expand the pool of applicants who can donate plasma for current coronavirus patients, he said. Still, a provider must decide if a patient is a good candidate for the antibody test and request it on their behalf, Lane-Davies said.

If we use the plasma and give antibodies from people whove been affected to people who are fighting the infection, theres data that suggests that those people have better outcomes," he said. People who are interested in being a plasma donor and were unable to be tested when they were symptomatic then thats a good use of that testing.

On Wednesday, April 29, Bronson requested its first plasma transfer for a patient, said Dr. Carla Schwalm, medical director of Bronson Childrens Hospital Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.

A plasma transfusion from a COVID-19 survivor transfers antibodies that have been exposed to COVID-19 to the current patient. Those antibodies can attack the virus and improve the chances of the patient getting not as sick or of them recovering faster, Schwalm said.

As of Thursday, May 21, Bronson has referred around 45 patients to be plasma donors. Across the healthcare system, approximately 10-15 patients have received a plasma infusion.

Bronson Methodist and Ascension Borgess hospitals both have recovered as well as currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Both are working with Versiti Blood Center to receive the plasma donations. The center has locations in Portage, Grand Rapids and Grandville.

On Thursday, Lane-Davies said the number of COVID-19 patients and deaths have reached a plateau in the last three weeks and are now on a downward trend.

Were beyond that three-week plateau and moving into how do we deliver care going forward, understanding that COVID-19 is in our community for the foreseeable future, he said.

Bronson Methodist reported 71 recovered COVID-19 patients on Friday. Recovered patients are defined as someone who has 72 hours of improvement in cough and fever and is 10 days out from the onset of symptoms.

In the last 30 days Bronson Methodist has averaged 18 patients a day. On Friday, the hospital reported 16 patients and a total of 25 deaths.

Ascension Borgess has not released its patient, recovery and death data, citing patient privacy.

A visual representation of the increasing case counts and death toll in Kalamazoo County is shown below, based on data reported by the state. Apparent conflicts in data reported there result from slight differences in daily case counts provided by state and county health officials.

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Kalamazoo hospitals begin treating coronavirus patients with plasma donations

Kalamazoo hospitals adapt to new normal after coronavirus brings uncertain future

Long-term care facility residents make up the majority of Kalamazoo Countys coronavirus deaths

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Bronson Healthcare launches antibody testing for coronavirus - mlive.com