The San Francisco Giants have confirmed they are among the teams that will participate in a nationwide study that aims to give coronavirus researchers a better sense of COVID-19’s true infection rate in the United States.
According to an initial report from ESPN on Tuesday, 27 MLB teams –including the Giants– will have players and employees tested for molecules called IgM and IgG, which are antibodies produced by the immune system in response to a viral attack.
The study, which is being conducted by researchers from Stanford, USC and the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, will reportedly use serological test kits that draw blood via a pinprick and can produce results in under 10 minutes.
A positive test would reveal that a person has already contracted COVID-19, even if the person has not developed or displayed any symptoms of the disease.
Stanford professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya told ESPN he reached out to officials with other professional sports leagues, but MLB “moved by far the fastest,” to partake.
Up to 10,000 people will participate in the antibody study which will help give researchers a sense of the virus’ true infection rate in major metropolitan areas. The antibody tests are not similar to PCR tests used at hospitals that are used to detect whether COVID-19 is active in a person.
Demand for and production of antibody tests has increased around the world, in large part because there is still restricted access to PCR tests in many places.
To date, no Major League Baseball players have tested positive for COVID-19.
Player participation in the study will offer researchers a specific group of healthy, fit individuals who may have contracted coronavirus but didn’t display symptoms while team employee participation will give researchers a significant sample of antibodies from large urban areas around the country.
The data provided by the tests will be de-identified, so it will not allow MLB to return to play sooner than any other professional sports leagues.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that mass gatherings such as sporting events “are not in the cards” when the state begins easing its stay-at-home restrictions.
