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What Is an Antibody Test?

An antibody test is a screening for things called antibodies in your blood. Your body makes these when it fights an infection, like COVID-19. The same thing happens when you get a vaccine, like a flu shot. That’s how you build immunity to a virus.

You may also hear it called a serology test.

The antibody test isn’t checking for the virus itself. Instead, it looks to see whether your immune system -- your body’s defense against illness -- has responded to the infection.

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How Does an Antibody Test Work?

A technician will take a bit of your blood, like through a finger prick. The test looks for one or both kinds of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19:

• IgM antibodies, which happen early in an infection

• IgG antibodies, which are more likely to show up later

Most people have IgG antibodies about 14 days after symptoms start. They usually stay in your blood long after the infection goes away, but we don’t know how long that is for the new coronavirus.

What’s the Difference Between a Coronavirus Test and an Antibody Test?

A coronavirus test, sometimes called a diagnostic test, looks for signs of active virus. It’s simpler and faster than an antibody test. But it tells you only if you have the virus in your body at the moment when you’re tested.

An antibody test shows that you had the virus at some point in the past. It could be gone, or you could still be contagious.

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Why Do We Need Antibody Testing?

You could have SARS-CoV-2 and not know it. Not everyone who gets it has symptoms. Experts hope antibody tests can give health officials a better idea of how common the virus is.

Once scientists know who has had the virus, they can find out how sick it makes most people. And they can study what happens if people who've had it come into contact with it again. Along with other scientific information, this can help researchers understand who might be immune to the virus.

The hope is that people with antibodies to COVID-19 can safely get back to work, and normal life, quicker.

These tests may also help with an experimental treatment for COVID-19 called convalescent plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood.

Researchers are studying how antibodies in plasma donated by people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 might help those who are ill with the virus. Early research shows that this plasma may help sick people get better faster.

You can volunteer to donate plasma through the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project. Or ask your local blood donation center for information.

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Are Antibody Tests Accurate?

Companies make their own claims about the accuracy of their antibody tests. Some say it’s up to 100%. Government researchers are studying how well the tests are working, but it’s too early to say for sure.

The FDA says it will crack down on any manufacturer that sells a bad test.

It’s important to note that some tests can mistake IgM antibodies from other coronaviruses, such as common cold strains, for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

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Who Should Get an Antibody Test?

If you think you might have come into contact with the coronavirus, or if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and have fully recovered, you can probably get tested for antibodies.

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How Can You Get an Antibody Test?   (CALL OUR OFFICE TO GET TESTING)

You can't do these tests at home. But they’re becoming more widely available in many areas. The FDA has issued emergency use rulings for several antibody tests so people can get them before they have full FDA approval. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants to study blood from 10,000 healthy people who haven’t tested positive for COVID-19. Researchers want to see how many people might have had the virus without knowing it. If you want to take part, email the NIH at clinicalstudiesunit@nih.gov.

The CDC, along with other private and public labs, is also working to develop more tests for the public.

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What Do the Results Mean for You?

If you test positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, it probably means you’ve had the virus. It’s also possible to get a “false positive” if you have antibodies but had a different kind of coronavirus.

A positive result might mean you have some immunity to the coronavirus. It’s too early to know how strong it is or how long it might last.

A negative result means you haven’t come into contact with the virus or you haven’t had it long enough to make antibodies. You could also have been exposed and not have antibodies. This is called a false negative.

No matter the result, if you don’t have symptoms, you don’t need follow-up. But if you do, you might have a diagnostic test to look for signs of active virus.

Because there’s a chance that test results can be wrong and because there’s so much we don’t know about the virus, it’s important to keep following official safety guidelines after your test. Stay home as much as you can, wear a face mask when you’re in public, and wash your hands often.

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What is the rapid Dual Antibody Covid Blood Test?

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Antibodies are proteins that the body produces in response to an infection or vaccine. There are 2 types of COVID-19 antibody tests: a spike protein test and a nucleocapsid test. This blood test is a spike protein test which may detect antibodies from a prior COVID-19 infection or a vaccination, regardless of whether symptoms were present. A nucleocapsid protein test can only detect antibodies from a past infection.

This COVID-19 Antibody Test may be helpful if you:

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• Have previously tested positive for COVID-19 or received a COVID-19 vaccination and want to know if you have detectable levels of IgG antibodies

• Were never diagnosed with COVID-19 and are looking to determine if you may have been previously infected with the virus

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You should not get this COVID-19 Antibody Test and instead contact your healthcare provider if you:

• Are feeling sick or have had a fever within the last 72 hours

• Think you are currently infected with COVID-19

• Were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days

• Think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 14 days

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This test can sometimes detect antibodies from other related coronaviruses you may have been exposed to, such as a virus that causes the common cold. This can cause a false positive result. Additionally, if you test too soon after infection or vaccination, your body may not have produced enough IgG antibodies to be detected by the test yet, which can lead to a false negative result.

This test may not be helpful if you have a compromised immune system or have a condition that makes it difficult to fight infections.

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About COVID-19 Antibody Tests

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There are 2 ways to develop SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) antibodies, either from a natural infection or from vaccination.

After a natural infection, current research shows that it may be best to get antibody testing 3 to 4 weeks after symptom onset or known exposure to COVID-19 to increase the opportunity to detect an immune response.

After vaccination, it is still not known how long it takes to develop antibodies. Based on the latest research, it may be best to wait 3-4 weeks after your vaccination is fully completed. Antibody testing for the purposes of vaccine decision making is not currently recommended by the CDC. Each person is different.

How long antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 remain detectable after infection is not known.

There is not enough evidence to know whether having COVID-19 antibodies indicates that you are immune to reinfection. COVID-19 is highly contagious, and you should continue to practice preventive measures to protect yourself and others, regardless of your antibody level.

Fees and payment

Individuals may have COVID-19 testing fully paid by their health insurance.

Source

*About the FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Status

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This test has been authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). This means that while Quest Diagnostics has validated the test and has the data to believe the test and the collection kit are accurate, this test has not been FDA- cleared or -approved; This test has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories; this test has been authorized only for the detection of IgG Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens; and, this test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use on in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(B)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360BBB-3(B)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.

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