COVID-19 Antibody Testing

Your immune system makes antibodies in response to illnesses or vaccination. These antibodies are then used the next time you are exposed to a certain pathogen, to help your body fight off the illness faster. COVID-19 antibody testing looks specifically for antibodies made against the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus responsible for COVID-19).

What is COVID-19 antibody testing?

COVID-19 antibody tests are designed to test for a past COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Antibody testing will not test if you have an active COVID-19 infection, so you should utilize other testing modalities if you believe that you are actively infected with COVID-19, recommends the CDC. If you have recently received a COVID-19 vaccine, antibody testing will most likely show artificially positive results, as you will have antibodies circulating in your bloodstream in the days or weeks following vaccination.

How does antibody testing work?

To better understand antibody testing, it can be helpful to understand what antibodies are. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body when you become infected with an illness. Ultimately, they are the body’s defense mechanism to aid you in your recovery efforts. The body will identify a virus as foreign and attack it, and in doing so, the body will develop antibodies.

Types of COVID-19 antibody tests

There are two types of antibody tests for COVID-19: binding tests and neutralizing antibody tests.

Binding antibody tests are the kind that is most widely available, and these tests simply look to see how high the antibody load is within an individual. Binding tests do not tell you how protected you are against reinfection, reports the DCC

According to the CDC, neutralizing antibody tests are less available; newer tests are a bit more detailed in their analyses of the types of antibodies that you have circulating in your system. The neutralizing tests look to see how strong your antibodies are at fighting against a COVID-19 infection.

Who should get an antibody test?

The CDC recommends that you should get an antibody test if you believe that you have been exposed to COVID-19 recently or if you are curious about if your body is still producing antibodies against the virus.

Most people get the antibody test to provide them with clarity or reassurance regarding their immunity status.

Additional reasons for people to consider getting an antibody test, according to the CDC include:

• If you have experienced COVID-19-like symptoms in the past but were never formally tested, an antibody test would provide clarity that you were in fact infected with COVID-19 and not a different illness.
• If you are undergoing a medical procedure in which you want to ensure that risk is mitigated.
• If you have had COVID-19 in the past and you now want to donate blood to help treat other people with COVID-19.

How to get a COVID-19 antibody test

Antibody tests can be obtained through your local healthcare provider. This could be your primary care physician or a walk-in care provider.

Because they are not actively being recommended as a diagnostic procedure or to assess immunity by the CDC or by the FDA, it is often left up to an individual to contact their healthcare provider to undergo this testing.

In addition, many labs offer antibody tests, so contacting a local, certified lab is another effective way to get an antibody test. You can order your own antibody testing through Solv.

What to expect with a COVID-19 antibody test

If you haven’t undergone the experience of getting an antibody test, it can be helpful to know what you are going into ahead of time so that you can be best prepared.

First, there are no steps needed or considerations to be made prior to going in for a test.

During the test, a healthcare provider will take a blood sample, usually by a finger prick or by taking blood from a vein in your arm or hand. The blood sample is then sent to a lab to be analyzed for antibodies present in the blood.

After the test, you should not notice any side effects and you should not have any limitations.

Usually, you receive results within 1-3 days, notes the CDC. However, this can vary based on the testing site.

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 antibodies

According to the CDC, if you test positive for antibodies, you have antibodies for COVID-19 in your blood. This means that you have had a past infection, even if you did not have symptoms.

If you test positive for antibodies, it is currently recommended to assume that you are not completely safe or immune from reinfection, reports the CDC. Additionally, the CDC recommends that you continue to take necessary precautions, as there have been many reinfection cases reported.

It is important to note that you may test positive for antibodies if you get tested after receiving the vaccine. It is unknown how long vaccination provides a protective amount of antibodies, according to the CDC.

What to do if you test negative for COVID-19 antibodies

According to the CDC, If you test negative for antibodies, this means that you do not have circulating COVID-19 antibodies in your blood.

It is unknown if all people who become infected with COVID-19 will produce antibodies in an amount that would be detectable in these tests, according to the CDC. So it is possible that you can get a negative antibody test even after infection.

Additionally, according to the CDC, if someone were to develop antibodies after being infected with COVID-19, depending on the time in which they get an antibody test completed, their levels of antibodies may be too low for detection.

Finding a COVID-19 antibody test

You can use Solv to find a walk-in care provider or order an antibody test from a certified lab near you.

Can I get a COVID-19 antibody test at home?

There are at-home COVID-19 antibody tests available. These tests typically involve a finger-prick blood sample that you collect yourself and then send to a laboratory for analysis.

You can order these types of tests online, however, they may be less accurate than tests performed in a laboratory setting.

Cost of the COVID-19 antibody tests

The cost of COVID-19 antibody testing in the USA can vary depending on several factors, such as the location, type of test, and whether or not insurance covers it. On average, the cost can range from $69 to $149 per test without insurance coverage—according to FindLabTest.com.

More about Covid-19

What is Covid-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. It was first identified in December 2019 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020.

How is Covid-19 transmitted?

COVID-19 is primarily spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes, according to the CDC. It can also be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, though this is rare.

Covid-19 symptoms to watch out for

According to the CDC, symptoms can range from mild to severe and may include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste or smell (less common)
• Nausea or diarrhea (less common)