Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu said Monday she had tested negative for the novel coronavirus but positive for antibodies, meaning she was likely infected at some point.
Wu said in a tweet she was selected randomly for a Boston-focused study of coronavirus antibodies carried out by Massachusetts General Hospital.
"Got my test results last night: negative for coronavirus & positive for antibodies—meaning I was most likely infected at some point without knowing it," Wu tweeted.
The study involves randomized testing of 1,000 residents of East Boston, Roslindale, and some parts of Dorchester, who were selected by the city of Boston.
Doctors say the data will give them insight into people’s immunity and ability to recover from the virus, which will help determine a strategy in returning to some semblance of normalcy.
The Bostonians who participated in the study had not shown symptoms of the coronavirus, but live in neighborhoods that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
The data will show doctors how many of patients may have had asymptomatic cases of the disease. Nationwide, about 25% of people could be asymptomatic, unknowingly carrying and infecting others with the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors administered the tests through traditional swabs and finger pricks to determine if there was an immune response to COVID-19.
