When Covid-19 shut down the U.S. economy in March, Elon Musk had a rocket to launch.<\/p>\n
The billionaires space exploration venture, SpaceX, was planning to blast a crewed spacecraft into the sky in May and wanted to stay on schedule. That meant finding a way to keep facilities safely open and limit the spread of Covid-19, a challenge when tests were in short supply.<\/p>\n
To monitor the prevalence of the virus among SpaceX workers nationwide, Mr. Musk and the rocket companys top medical executive worked with doctors and academic researchers to build an antibody-testing program. More than 4,000 SpaceX workers volunteered for monthly blood tests.<\/p>\n
This week the group published its findings, which suggest that a certain threshold of antibodies might provide people lasting protection against the virus. Mr. Musk is listed as a co-author of the peer-reviewed study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications.<\/p>\n
People can have antibodies, but it doesnt mean they are going to be immune to Covid-19, said Galit Alter, a co-author of the study who is a member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard. Individuals who experienced fewer, milder Covid-19 symptoms generated fewer antibodies and were therefore less likely to meet the threshold for longer-term immunity, the study found.<\/p>\n
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Elon Musk Got 4,000 SpaceX Workers to Join a Covid-19 Study. Heres What He Learned. - The Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Covid-19 shut down the U.S. economy in March, Elon Musk had a rocket to launch. Continue reading