Voluntary testing of Alpharetta first responders found 10 police officers and firefighters had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, a sign they had been exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

The test results indicated the individuals' immune systems were triggered due to a previous infection but did not mean they now had the disease, according to a city announcement. The 10 employees underwent swab testing, and none tested positive for infection currently.

“We decided it was important to provide voluntary antibody testing to our first responders, an employee group that would be at highest risk for exposure to the virus, to better understand how the virus may have spread, learn how effective our protective protocols have been, and help plan for future pandemics,” said Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin.

Alpharetta became the first municipality in Georgia last month to provide COVID-19 antibody testing to first responders, the city said. A total of 127 of the city’s 192 police officers and firefighters have voluntarily undergone testing.

Information: https://bit.ly/3hOr9mS

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