| Every flu we have, every cold, creates a memory. The immune system stores the recollection of an invading pathogen, and the next time we're exposed our bodies recognize the foe and attack it. That memory is expressed in antibodies that circulate in the blood. In the last week, two major U.S. medical firms have announced what are known as serology tests. With a sample of blood, they can find out if a person was ever infected. It's a question that's as important scientifically as it is practically. Broad antibody tests can uncover the true history of the virus. How many people did it infect? Who was most at risk? Was there an undiscovered current of mild cases? Which groups developed severe symptoms and needed to be hospitalized? Which didn't? What's the real mortality rate? The tests can also tell us who's likely to be immune. With business shut down, the health-care workforce short on protective gear, and people staying in their homes to avoid catching or spreading the coronavirus, knowing who's already had it is crucial. These are people who can go back to work or can help alleviate an increasingly pressured front line of health-care workers who are among the most at risk of being infected. The tests can also be conducted well after a person is ill. Unlike nasal swabs that only pick up the virus while an infection is ongoing, serological tests can find out if a person was exposed and recovered. They're a way of looking back into the body's past and making up for some of the testing failures that have plagued U.S. efforts to track the outbreak. In Germany, researchers are planning to deploy the tests widely and figure out who can safely come out of social distancing. Mass serology testing is part of a plan put forward by former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb to get the U.S. back to work. Within days and weeks, it will become more available in the U.S. And a gradual end to social distancing may come from answering the question, "Are you immune?"—Drew Armstrong | 
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