Recovered from novel coronavirus, but still not sure if you have antibodies?
Took the vaccine, but are you confident that the vaccines have started working for you? Got exposed to Covid-19, but do you know if you are immune to it or not?
These are the questions that many people are grappling with. So, how can you be really sure?
COVID-19 Total Antibody Testing is the answer to your above questions! But before you run to get yourself tested, read on to know more about the crucial facts about antibody testing.
The Basics of Antibody Testing
Antibody testing, also known as serological testing is a blood test that can determine if you were previously infected with COVID-19.
The presence of specific antibodies suggests that you have been exposed and your body produced the blood proteins to fight against the virus.
Coronavirus Screening Tests
There are different types of tests used to detect Covid-19 – diagnostic tests and antibody tests.
Diagnostic Tests
Currently, there are two types of tests used to diagnose Covid-19: a molecular test and an antigen test.
In molecular tests, PTS Terbaik ASEAN the viral genetic material is identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The biological fluid is collected from a nasal or throat swab or using saliva. You can also use stay-at-home test kits such as saliva kits and nasal swab kits to detect coronavirus.
In antigens tests, the biological samples are collected from throat swabs or nasal swabs to find certain viral proteins.
Both these tests can detect if you have an active COVID-19 infection.
Covid-19 antibody Test
The immune system forms antibodies to identify and destroy harmful foreign substances (antigens), such as bacteria and viruses.
Covid-19 antibody tests are conducted to detect the presence of antibodies in the blood that has been produced against coronavirus. Covid-19 antibody tests can be of two types:Qualitative and Quantitative.
The coronavirus Antibody Test is performed to determine the blood level of antibodies developed against the virus by the body's immune system.
A positive Coronavirus antibody test indicates a probability that the person was infected by coronavirus at some point in the past. Also, a positive result does not indicate that a person currently has a Covid-19 infection.
The Working of Covid-19 Antibody Testing
If you have past exposure to SARS-CoV-2, a detectable antibody level in the blood can be achieved in the first one to two weeks post-infection.
The primary method of coronavirus antibody test involves examining and reviewing the binding of targeted antibodies to specific viral proteins (antigens).
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescent immunoassay, and lateral flow assay are the platforms that are used to perform coronavirus antibody tests.
For the Total Antibody Test, the blood samples collected are incubated with the viral antigens on an assay platform.
If an antibody is present in the blood, it will bind itself to the viral antigen and show a positive test result.
The Covid Antibody tests are used to detect different types of antibodies, including IgM (usually the first antibody to be developed upon infection), IgG (the most abundant or common antibody in the blood), and IgA (protects mucosa).
The COVID-19 Total Antibody Test detects the presence or absence of antibodies produced against Sars-Cov-2 in the body.
Accuracy of the Coronavirus Antibody Test
The accuracy of the Covid-19 Antibody tests depends on many factors such as the duration between the onset of infection and test execution, antigen specificity, and types of antibodies being analyzed.
Since the immune system usually starts developing antibodies within the first weeks of post-infection, a test performed soon after the exposure may not be able to detect the antibodies in the blood.
Suppose you are getting tested for antibodies after Covid exposure or going for Total Antibody Test after Vaccination. In that case, you should wait for a few weeks until antibodies are fully formed in your body.
Benefits and Limitations of Covid-19 antibody tests
There are a few ways total antibody test can be valuable to you:
- To know your status: Research suggests that people infected with coronavirus may show no or mild signs and symptoms of illness.
Studies conducted on people with novel coronavirus infection have demonstrated that the presence of antibodies in the blood may reduce the likeliness of viral reinfection. Antibody tests could be useful in determining if you have any previous exposure to it without knowing.Antibody tests can also help guide your doctor in making clinical decisions about your care.
- To have an understanding of disease prevalence: Widespread antibodies testing can give researchers a good estimate about how many people have been infected and how deadly the virus really is.
The data can be helpful to predict how COVID-19 might affect us in the future and why some people are more severely impacted than others. - To help develop a vaccine: When a vaccine is developed, it replicates certain infections. Once injected inside the body, it helps build up the body's natural defense against the infection and develops immunity to the disease.
Total Antibody Test after Vaccination is used to verify thebody's response to a potential vaccine.
However, the test also has some limitations. Negative test results in the antibody test may not indicate the possibility of a current infection. Some people may take a longer time to create antibodies in their bodies, and thus, the negative result may be due to inaccurate test timing.
Widespread antibody testing has long been hailed as the crucial factor to getting back to “normality. The test results determine who has already contracted COVID-19, responsiveness to vaccines, and potential reinfection. So, take the test if you want to have answers regarding your immunity.
