What Today Anchor Dylan Dreyer's Positive COVID-19 Antibody Test Really Means
We all know and love Today anchor Dylan Dreyer, so when she announced on the show she tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, naturally people wondered what that means. We knew her husband Brian Fichera was diagnosed with the virus in March, which means Dreyer had direct exposure. Fichera documented his self-isolation in the couple's apartment in New York City — in fact, the new dad of two quarantined away from his family in his 3-year-old son's bedroom and called the experience, "really scary."
According toToday, Dreyer decided to get a nasal swab test, which revealed she did not have an active COVID-19 infection, but a blood test revealed she is positive for antibodies (via People). Dr. Kavita Patel explained to Dreyer, "Unfortunately, as much as it would be comforting to believe that an antibody-positive test means you're invincible, the truth is that we don't know."
So what can be gleaned from the test results? For instance, does this mean Dreyer is immune to the highly-contagious illness? It seems for now, the medical community doesn't have definitive answers, no matter how much we may wish they did.
What we do know about Dylan Dreyer's COVID-19 antibody test results
Given that this test is new, and the quality can be inconsistent, doctors are still trying to figure out what the antibody screen really means for people. Patel advised Dreyer to continue to practice safe social distancing, but perhaps most key, is to inform anyone she has spent time with that they could have been exposed. "The reason why is because you can actually develop antibodies and still have active virus, for example, and potentially infect others," Patel elaborated.
The most important takeaway may be that testing is becoming more readily available. Whether individuals should get tested is a conversation to have with a doctor and depends on a variety of factors.
As for Dreyer, she said although her family has been through a lot — especially since they just welcomed baby Oliver 4 months ago — the silver lining is time together. "We're getting more time together than I ever would've imagined," she said. "I would say that's the blessing in disguise of all this, just that we get so much family time. Sometimes it drives you crazy, but for the most part it's been great."