Thread by @ozm

NEW: In the future, widespread antibody testing could lead to "immunity certificates," which would let people who have already been exposed to the virus return to public life.

But the hope may be dashed by significant scientific and ethical concerns. read.medium.com/NL26fGA

Diagnostic testing is already extremely limited in the U.S., to say nothing of antibody testing.

Experts worry that antibody testing isn’t guaranteed to prove immunity, and if it does, the resulting immunity passports could be used to discriminate.

read.medium.com/NL26fGA

Despite those concerns, immunity certificates status have been proposed as a way to begin reopening the economy in places around the world where daily life has come to a grinding halt because of the new coronavirus. read.medium.com/NL26fGA

Chile could be the first country to issue immunity certificates to people who have recovered from the virus, and Germany and Italy are considering them.

In the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci has said the idea might “have some merit under certain circumstances.” read.medium.com/NL26fGA

“If we are going to use immunity certificates, we need to make sure they’re scientifically valid,” says @profmohapatra, an associate professor of law at @IndianaUniv who focuses on healthcare. read.medium.com/NL26fGA

Immunity passports would be helpful for front-line workers, like those in healthcare, the postal service, grocery stores, public transit, warehouses, and childcare.

If they knew they were immune to infection, they could go about their day without worrying.

However, issuing immunity certificates based on faulty tests could be disastrous.

False positives — in which a test result says people have coronavirus antibodies when they don’t — could lead people to believe they have immunity when they don’t. read.medium.com/NL26fGA