Trump says he will get tested for coronavirus antibodies

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not yet been tested for coronavirus antibodies but would be taking the test in the future.

“No I haven’t,” Trump said in an interview with “Fox & Friends” when asked if he has been tested for antibodies. “But we’re getting that. And you know, we’re leading in that too. We’re leading in everything.”

“I will do that,” Trump said. “Who knows, some people had it and they didn’t even know they had it.”

Antibody tests provide information about whether a person’s immune system has developed antibodies needed to fight off a particular infection. A positive test means a person has antibodies, and therefore had the virus at some point; a negative test means a person does not have antibodies and has not yet contracted the virus.

Experts say it is still unclear whether antibodies work well enough or last long enough to protect a person from being reinfected with the coronavirus.

Trump is believed to have been in close contact with multiple people who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The White House said Thursday that Trump’s personal valet, who works in the West Wing serving the president his meals, among other duties, had tested positive for the coronavirus. In March, a Brazilian official Trump met with at Mar-a-Lago also tested positive for the virus.

Trump and other White House official are tested every day for the virus using a rapid testing system that provides results within minutes.

Trump said he would “100 percent” provide former Vice President Joe Biden, the apparent Democratic presidential nominee, with the rapid testing system if he needed it so he could “get out of the basement.”

“Yes, 100 percent. I would love to see him get out of the basement so he can speak because, you know, he’s locked in the basement somewhere and every time he talks it’s like a good thing,” Trump said.

“I’ll give them the test immediately, I would have it to them today,” Trump added.