The Lassen County Public Health Department is reporting the first confirmed positive serology test for COVID-19 in a Lassen County resident. Serology testing is a laboratory blood test that confirms the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins made in response to infection.
The confirmed positive serology test was a Lassen County resident identified at a local health care facility with no history of illness over the past two months and no current complaint of illness.
In the announcement the Lassen County Public Health Department said that it will not be releasing any additional demographic information related to this positive serology test.
“It is our priority to protect the privacy of all individuals in our community. The Lassen County COVID-19 Investigation Taskforce will complete a detailed investigation to determine if there is a need for further testing of close contacts.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibodies can be found in the blood of people who are tested after infection and show that those individuals have had an immune response to the infection. Antibody test results are especially important for detecting previous infections with few or no symptoms.
Currently, according to public health officials it is unknown if the antibodies that result from a COVID-19 will provide immunity from future infection.
“All Lassen County residents need to understand that this positive serology test does not change how Lassen County is responding to this pandemic. Positive serology tests do not confirm active disease in our community; however, based on world wide spread of COVID-19, with the added increase in cases confirmed in our country and Governor Newsom’s stay at home order, our community will continue to operate under the assumption that unconfirmed cases of COVID-19 are circulating in Lassen County.”
Lassen County Public Health staff and the Lassen County Covid-19 Investigation Taskforce are following infectious disease investigation guidelines provided by the CDC.
“Furthermore, Lassen County’s COVID-19 Incident Command has established a comprehensive case management taskforce to ensure that individuals testing positive and their close contacts are provided all support needed to isolate at home during the potential infectious disease period.”
“Public Health Emergency Preparedness Programs have been organizing for a response such as this for many years and have worked closely with healthcare and response.”
