So I wanted to ask you, I guess first off, why did you decide to get an antibody test?

I mean, the main reason I got an antibody test is because my editor asked me to get an antibody test.

That's Shannon Paulus, who writes about science for Slate.

And her editor asked her to get one of these tests, because Shannon has spent the last few

months trying to answer basic questions that everyone seems to be asking.

What type of mask should you wear?

If you need to wear one when you run, whether you should pay attention to some of the

weirder symptoms of the virus.

This week, that question is, should you bother getting an antibody test?

That's a test that can show whether someone has been exposed to the novel coronavirus.

In most diseases, the presence of antibodies signals immunity.

With COVID, scientists think there's probably some kind of immunity, but they don't know

how much or for how long.

If you had a positive test, you could potentially donate some of these antibodies to help

patients who are currently sick and fighting the virus.

I was also, though, just extremely curious and interested in getting one because I'd

live in New York and I've been quarantining in Park Slope and I hear sirens all the time and I'm not allowed

to do anything and I didn't really have much else going on yesterday. So I thought, hey, I'll see if I've

had the novel coronavirus maybe today.

Did you have to make an appointment or did you just, were you able to just show up?

Just showed up. Yeah. Just spur of the moment, put some things in a purse, which felt really good,

like a Kindle in case I had to wait, and walked over. There are so many lines in my neighborhood now.

...