{"id":628,"date":"2022-02-26T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-09-05T14:11:55","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T06:11:55","slug":"what-does-an-antibody-test-tell-you-about-your-immunity-towards-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/what-does-an-antibody-test-tell-you-about-your-immunity-towards-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does An Antibody Test Tell About Your Immunity Towards COVID-19?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are two different main types of tests for COVID-19. There\u2019s an antibody test, which tests your antibody levels to help determine your level of immunity towards COVID-19. There\u2019s also the diagnostic (viral) COVID test, such as the PCR test, antigen test and other rapid COVID tests. These help determine whether your current COVID status is positive or negative, revealing whether or not you have the virus.<\/p>\n

Antibody tests will test your body\u2019s immune system for antibodies that were produced in response to contracting the virus. When someone gets an antibody test, they\u2019ll need to provide a blood sample. A small sample of blood is typically drawn from a self-administration device, a finger prick, or by a medical professional.<\/p>\n

What Are Antibodies and Why Do We Need Them?<\/h2>\n

Antibodies are naturally occurring proteins in the body that recognize foreign material, and \u00a0coordinate with the body\u2019s immune system to trigger a defense. Testing your antibody levels is a screening test used as a safety precaution, to determine how well your body responds to an infection. <\/strong>Antibodies can prevent a virus from infecting cells in the body, so one\u2019s antibody levels do correlate to how likely they are to get sick from COVID. Antibodies help the body fight off the virus faster, and high antibody levels help protect people from illness or experiencing severe symptoms.<\/p>\n

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The Antibody Test is Not for the Purpose of Diagnosing Your COVID Status<\/h2>\n

Antibody tests aren\u2019t recommended for diagnosing active COVID-19 infections. This is because antibodies could take 1-3 weeks to develop after contracting the infection. That\u2019s why antibody tests are not what are used to determine if a traveler is allowed to cross a border. Depending on where you\u2019re going, if you\u2019re traveling, you\u2019ll typically need a RT-PCR test to confirm your negative COVID status.<\/p>\n

Diagnostic tests such as a RT-PCR test or antigen test are used to confirm if someone has a COVID-19 infection. While an antibody test requires a blood sample, the samples for diagnostic tests are typically obtained with a nasal or throat swab.<\/p>\n

Many people get both diagnostic tests and<\/em> antibody tests as an extra safety precaution. <\/strong>Those with weaker immune systems may be slower to produce antibodies and may not produce adequate levels of antibodies. This makes them at higher risk of getting sick from COVID. That\u2019s why it is important to know your antibody levels, merely getting vaccinated is not enough. Circle Snapshot COVID-19 Antibody Test<\/a> allows you to conduct the test at home comfortably and receive the results on your mobile easily.<\/p>\n

Positive results of an antibody test (i.e., when your results are above a certain reference range or level indicated) are not meant to be used for diagnosing COVID.<\/p>\n

What Can an Antibody Test Tell You about Your Immunity towards COVID-19?<\/h2>\n

The COVID-19 antibody test is not recommended for determining your immunity to the virus.<\/a> If you had a positive antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 infection, it does not guarantee that you are fully immune to the virus, as there is a chance that you may still get infected from future exposure to the virus. <\/strong>A positive antibody test also does not reveal or indicate whether you can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. To make an informed decision regarding the appropriateness of antibody testing for you, consult your healthcare provider.<\/p>\n

The antibody test is used to determine the strength of a person\u2019s immune response to viral infection or to show the body\u2019s efforts (past infection) or preparedness (past infection or vaccination) to fight off a specific virus. In addition, it is used to assess a person\u2019s need for a booster vaccine. The antibody test is also used to determine how much a previously administered COVID-19<\/strong> vaccine may have protected you against the virus, <\/strong>or if you have been affected previously by COVID-19 infection.<\/p>\n

Antibodies decrease or wane over time<\/a>. That means after a certain amount of time, your body\u2019s immune system will become less capable of producing effective antibodies in time.<\/strong> When that happens, you may be at risk of developing more severe illnesses. The threshold of antibodies for protection against COVID-19 and the time it takes for antibodies to wane vary among individuals. The virus\u2019 memory may reside in long-lived immune system cells that protect patients from severe illness if they are re-infected.<\/p>\n

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How is the Antibody Test Conducted?<\/h2>\n

When testing your antibody levels, remember that you need to provide a blood sample. The clinician will use a needle to draw blood. Your blood sample is then sent to a lab where technicians are trained to look for specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19:<\/p>\n