Alberta is investing $10 million into targeted serology testing that will help track the spread of COVID-19 across the province.

Serology testing is used to detect the presence of antibodies in a person’s blood, indicating that a person has been exposed to the COVID-19 virus in the past. This is different from the robust polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing already available to all Albertans, which is the most effective way to test if anyone currently has the virus.

of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy. Investing in these focused studies of select groups will help us get a better sense of the situation in Alberta and learn more about the virus. The more we know about how COVID-19 is spreading, the better we can protect Albertans.”

The $10-million investment will fund two pediatric studies that will measure COVID-19 antibody prevalence among groups of Calgary and Edmonton children until 2022. A third study will test samples from blood collected for other purposes across the province, and a fourth will regularly test select Albertans over the age of 45 to help officials better estimate the number of people exposed to COVID-19.

By investing in serology studies, Alberta will be able to better estimate the number of people who have previously contracted COVID-19 and learn about how the virus is spreading over time.

As well, Alberta Precision Laboratories will offer serology testing for specific clinical purposes and funded population-level serology research studies.

Watch Shandro give the announcement in today's COVID-19 update: