Only a handful of San Francisco Fire Department members tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in a recent UCSF study, even though nearly half of those surveyed said they had probably or definitely been around people infected by the virus.
Just three of 1,223 people who were tested had antibodies for the virus, according to a summary of the results made public by UCSF. The study tested two-thirds of the department’s employees, and featured people in every job category, including firefighters and paramedics. Researchers believe it is among the first COVID-19 antibody studies of emergency responders who do not work in a hospital, according to UCSF’s Dr. Robert Harrison, who directed the study. Harrison said the low positive tests are likely a reflection of the “powerful public health action” the Bay Area took when it shut down in March, combined with the Fire Department’s pandemic work practices, including the use of N95 respirator masks.