COVID-19 is here, and you might want to know if you have the disease’s immunity. An antibody test involves the measurement of IgG and IgM antibodies in your body, which your body produces due to an infection, and, in this case, the novel coronavirus infection. When the test is done in a widespread way, it offers cues that can help you make informed decisions, whether it is safe to relax social distancing measures or get back to work. You can get antibody testing in Ostego at GatherWell Rapid COVID Testing and speak to your provider to get more information. However, there are several basics you need to know as experts say that the tests may not be as promising as they sound.
Two antibody tests can be carried out, including a serum blood test and a finger prick test. The serum blood test involves drawing your blood, and the finger prick test is a point-care test, which means that you can get the results on the spot.
Ideally, the antibody testing aims to tell if you’ve had the COVID-19 infection or if you have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Note that it does not diagnose you with the disease; you need a different type of test for that.
About the Finger-prick Test
According to experts, this is the least accurate test available, accounting for only 85% accuracy. This is because they are insensitive and are associated with many opportunities for user errors. This is because the procedure has many procedures that can lead to contamination of the sample. Rapid tests are also inconsistent and user-dependent.
About the Serum Test
As far as the current test options in the market are concerned, the serum test is better than the finger-prick test. However, the test has to be well-timed to improve the accuracy of the findings. If the test is done too early, you can get false-negative results because there was not enough time for your body to make a measurable antibody level. Besides, the test has to be sensitive enough to specify the coronavirus that you were exposed to as there are other types of the virus circulating.
What Does it Mean to Test Positive for the Antibodies?
Experts don’t know yet whether a positive test for antibodies means that you are immune forever or not. But this should be a reason for you to relax a bit as it is not known for how long the immunity can last. Besides, no matter how accurate the test was, you still need vaccination once they are availed.
When deciding whether you should get the antibody test, please note that going into the hospital can expose you to the virus. Therefore, it would be good to pre-register rather than walk into the facility, reducing waiting time.
The Tests Accuracy
Here is where most of the experts have problems. They are concerned that the tests can indicate you have immunity while you are not in a real sense. However, the problem may not necessarily be the test, but it is part of the problem. The time of testing and the interpretation of the test results are other factors that can contribute to the test’s inaccuracy.
If you want to learn more about your COVID-19 immunity, this information can now help you make wise decisions and know what you can expect if you are going for a test. Besides, let your provider at GatherWell Rapid COVID Testing guide you and offer you more information about antibody testing.
