testing in groups with elevated exposure will lead to increases in positive predictive value even with imperfect tests it saidaccording to the researchers serological testing could identify recovered individuals among healthcare professionals who might then be able to interact with patients with reduced concern for infection across society the relatively small number of individuals with immunity could substitute for people whose immunity status isnt known doing this may reduce transmission risk both for recovered individuals and those who remain immunologically naive the scientists said we want to think about serology as an intervention finding out who is immune to the coronavirus could make a big difference in trying to reduce the risk to people who would be vulnerable by interacting with someone who could pass on the disease weitz said the reality is that people within highcontact jobs probably are likely to have a higher incidence of infection than other groups he added but the scientists also caution that using antibody information about individuals may create privacy issues and require those individuals to make informed decisions about accepting risks for the greater good of the community what this model says is that if we could identify individuals who are immune there is a chance that some individuals would not have to reduce their level of interaction with others because that interaction would be less risky weitz said rather than trying to keep reducing interactions which is helpful for reducing transmission but bad for what it does for the economy we might be able to maintain interactions while reducing the risk combined with other mitigation approaches he added addressing the pandemic will ultimately require the development and mass production of a vaccine that could boost immunity levels beyond 60 percent in the general population until this is available weitz believes that shield immunity could become part of the approach to the challenge