Antibody testing in Otsego is more than just checking if your body has developed antibodies against the COVID-19 virus. Instead, the test goes beyond determining how long the developed antibodies may help against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Unlike an RT-PCR test which prompts your doctor to insert a swab in your nose to collect a mucus sample to evaluate if you have the virus, an antibody test entails the use of a blood sample to check out your possibility of the virus in your body and the number of antibodies you have developed.
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How practical is the COVID-19 antibody test?
The accuracy of your test significantly depends on the test you are likely to take. Antibody tests have two classes. The first class, the rapid response test (point-of-care test), checks out if you have COVID-19 antibodies in your system. Unlike the rapid response test, the second class of antibody tests determines the number of antibodies in your system. The tests do not test use pin-prick blood samples. Instead, your doctor may need to draw a significant amount of your blood intravenously. After removing enough blood, your doctor will take the sample to the lab for further analysis. An accurate antibody test will tell you whether your system has developed antibodies in response to the COVID-19 virus.
What are some of the antibodies related to the virus that the test detects?
Your doctor is likely to detect antibodies in your blood several months after your recovery from the virus. Though the antibodies give you immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, your healthcare provider cannot predict how long your antibodies will last you or the extent it may protect you from having another infection. As a result, your doctor will still expect you to defend yourself against a re-infection. The antibody tests that the medical expert may use to detect particular types of the SARS-CoV-2 virus include:
Binding antibodies– the tests ascertain if you developed any antibodies in response to the virus infection. However, your doctor may not use the tests to show how effective your response system is.
Neutralizing antibodies– your healthcare provider will use these sensitive tests to detect a subgroup of your antibodies likely to inactivate the COVID-19 virus. You will most likely take the neutralizing antibodies test after testing positive for the binding antibodies test. Additionally, your doctor may use the test to determine your antibodies’ ability to block the SARS-CoV-2 virus, protecting you from future infections.
Why would your doctor recommend an antibody test?
You will most likely undergo the COVID-19 test if:
- You had past COVID-19 symptoms, but you did not go for testing
- You tested positive for the virus in the past and are about to go for a medical procedure
- You had the virus in the past but wish to donate your plasma
If your child is sick and your doctor suspects he has MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome for children), the healthcare professional may request an antibody test. Most of the kids with MIS-C have antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, indicating a previous infection of the virus.
An antibody test is the best way to determine if your system has developed the proteins to fight against the COVID-19 virus. Consult your doctor to know how effective the antibodies may help protect you against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.