Antibody Testing for COVID-19 Antibodies

First off, what is an antibody? An antibody is a specific blood protein produced by your body’s immune system to counteract “alien bodies” in your blood, such as bacteria and viruses. Your body produces these antibodies after exposure to bacteria and viruses. Your body will produce specific antibodies depending on what type of infection you have. Each antibody produced is different, and scientists and doctors can usually tell what you have had in the past, based on the different antibodies that your body produces. This is how we are able to detect COVID-19 antibodies in your blood.

While having COVID-19 antibodies is not 100% guarantee that you are immune to this virus, it does show that you have had it, survived it, and are less likely to catch it again. Even if you do have antibodies, you still should practice common sense precautions. If you sneeze or cough, do so in your elbow or shoulder and not towards anybody. Wash hands on a regular basis, use hand sanitizer. Practice social distancing (approx. 6-10 feet) and try to keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth, and nose. These are great practices to get into for any virus including the flu.

There is a push to get antibody tests out to the public for a few reasons. The biggest of these is to not only identify if you now have antibodies to COVID-19, but to let you know that you could donate your plasma to help other people who are currently battling with this virus. Across the country, doctors are trying to give blood with antibody's to needy patients who have COVID-19 with antibody blood, so that it should help them fight off this virus. There has been some success with this in the more severe cases and little to no side effects. If you have COVID-19 antibodies you could very well, save someone’s life.

The COVID-19 antibody test is a “send out” test to a lab that is used. Results are typically back within 1-2 business days. The antibody test requires that blood be drawn from your arm. It is a quantitative test (in other words we will get a reading of concentration if you have the presence of antibodies which is a level of antibodies). This is opposed to a qualitative test (which is simply a "yes" or "no").  A quantitative test offers a less likely "false positive" and is therefore more accurate. The purpose of the antibody test is NOT to diagnose COVID-19, as this should be done car side with a nasal swab sample. Antibody testing will tell your provider if you have been infected with COVID-19 in the past. Theoretically, this should convey immunity to the COVID-19 virus. We are learning more about this virus on a daily basis, and we suspect that although the presence of antibodies to COVID-19 should convey some type of immunity to it, the status of the individual's immune system is super important as well. All our bodies respond differently and with this new virus, it is not any different. 

If you have any more questions about antibody tests or getting a COVID-19 test please contact your Physician or give us a call at 432-366-0207.