Covid Antibody Test

Table of contents

Covid Antibody Test - what is it and how the test is done

With the pandemic caused by COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the spread of tests and swabs to detect infection from the virus has become the new normal.

A Covid Serology Test can be useful for measuring the antibody response of the person performing it. This type of test can help determine if someone has been previously infected with Coronavirus.

The antibody test can be beneficial if a PCR Test has not been carried out at the time when the typical symptoms of Covid have appeared.

Covid Antibody Test: How does it work?

The Covid antibody test involves taking a blood sample from the arm and sending it to a laboratory for analysis. The lab can determine if you've recently been infected with the virus by looking at the antibodies in your blood. A higher antibody level suggests that the body interacted with the Coronavirus and learned how to defeat it. Hence, the increase in the number of antibodies in the blood is the reason.

Why take a Covid Antibody Test

A Covid Serology Test can be useful when you might have been unknowingly exposed to the Coronavirus but no tests have yet been done to be sure about the infection or to document its positivity.

For example, if you doubt that you have been an asymptomatic positive for Covid in the past. Or if you have developed one or more suspicious symptoms in the past, such as fever, cough, congestion, shortness of breath, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.

Although many clinics and laboratories offer Covid Antibody Tests, the reports produced are generally not accepted to prove immunity to Covid and therefore not a suitable test for travel.

Common conditions covered by a Covid Serology Test

COVID-19 Influenza SARS-CoV-2 Sore throat Fever

Where to get a Covid Rapid Antibody Test in Italy

Covid Antibody Test at-Home and Self Tests

Covid Antibody Test FAQs

Any person who shows typical signs and symptoms of COVID19 infection such as fever, cough, tiredness, loss of taste or smell must get tested for COVID19 disease. The people who have been in direct contact with covid19-infected individuals or travellers have to get tested for covid19.

RT-PCR test to detect covid19 virus and a blood test that tests for covid antibody are required to diagnose covid19 infection. Only a finger prick blood sample is needed for antibody testing, and the results are available 30 minutes after the test.

Antibody testing, also known as serology testing, is mainly done after the infection. It determines whether the person has antibodies against covid 19 or not. It indicates that after illness, did the body make antibodies against the virus and is the body immune to it. The timing of the test is essential, and it is recommended that antibody testing be carried out after 2-3 weeks of infection for accurate results.

Yes, because no test for covid19 is 100% accurate. The accuracy is highly dependent on the timing of the sample. Moreover, a false positive result is pretty standard for this test.

Currently, there are no medical risks related to the test. However, if you have concerns related to blood draws in the past (bruising, bleeding, fainting, etc.), it is better to inform your doctor before the test.

Serological tests can be used by scientists to measure the antibody response of an individual who can help you determine if someone is infected with the virus COVID-19 in the past. These tests might be of interest to an individual if they had not carried out a PCR test when he suffered from symptoms in the past or to determine if someone has had an infection asymptotic. Although many clinics and private laboratories provide serological tests, these are not generally used by the travel or the target locations concerned about the current health of someone and if you have been infected by the virus.

In relation to infection by Coronavirus, a qualitative test determines the "if" while quantitative tests and semi-quantitative answer to the question "what?" By measuring the level of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a patient's blood sample, the quantitative tests and semi-quantitative give a more definitive answer on the body's immune response to the virus.

If you want to do a private test, you can find a laboratory that offers this service. On faiuntestevai.it we have over 4,000 centres throughout Italy offering different types of Covid-19 tests including Antibody tests.

A negative result means that the virus that causes COVID-19 was not found in the person sample. In the early stages of infection, it is possible that the virus may not be detected. For COVID-19, a negative test result for a sample collected while a person shows symptoms probably means that the COVID-19 virus is causing his current illness.