COVID-19 antibody testing is a method to determine if you have had a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past. These serology tests cannot detect if you currently have COVID-19. They identify specific antibodies in your blood that show you previously fought this illness.
What Are Antibodies?
You create these disease-fighting proteins approximately 1-3 weeks after having sickness or vaccination. Your immune system produces them to help you fight off that specific condition in the future. The amount of time you maintain protection depends on each person and the individual sickness.
What Are COVID-19 Antibody Tests?
These tests recognize the presence of antibodies that fight SARS-CoV-2 in your blood. When your results are positive, it means you likely had COVID-19 in the past. It does not mean you are necessarily immune to the virus. These are not the same as tests that detect active infections. An antibody test can search for the following:
- IgG (Immunoglobulin G): These proteins develop after your sickness to fight future illnesses from the same antigen.
- IgM (Immunoglobulin M): These immunizers form during the earlier stages of the disease as the first line of defense.
How Can You Do COVID Anti-Body Rapid Testing at Home?
When you purchase at-home antibody test kits for the novel coronavirus in the Denver Metro area, you can check for immune proteins without going to a lab. When you buy a COVID-19 antibody test from Colorado Sanitizing Solutions, you do not have to provide your personal information or report your results online.
To conduct a rapid test, read and follow the included instructions. The basic procedure for home use requires the following steps:
- Take a blood sample with a finger prick test device.
- Put a drop of blood into the specimen tray.
- Add the buffer included in the test kit.
- Read the results in 15 minutes.
What Do the Test Results Mean?
A COVID-19 antibody test examines how specific proteins bind to the SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Keep in mind an antibody test is not 100% accurate. False positives or negatives may occur. The accuracy depends on various factors, such as the time since you had the infection and cross-reactivity with related viruses.
Negative Results
If your rapid antibody test is negative:
- You may have a current infection. It takes anywhere from 7 to 21 days for a person to create these blood proteins.
- You may not have had COVID-19. Perhaps you were sick with another illness.
- You may not produce antibodies to coronavirus, even if you were exposed.
Positive Results
If your rapid antibody test is positive:
- You may have had an infection of COVID-19.
- You may have had a similar infection within the same family of viruses.
- You can test positive even if you never experienced any symptoms of illness.
- You may have protection from becoming ill again, but there is not yet enough evidence to determine how long it lasts.
- You should continue to take precautions for protection from the virus for yourself and to minimize the possibility of infecting others.
- You may want to speak with a health care provider to discuss your test.
When Do You Need a COVID-19 Antibody Test?
You may want a rapid antibody test if:
- You were sick with COVID-19 symptoms but did not get tested for the antigens.
- You had a previous positive COVID-19 diagnostic test.
- You are planning to have a medical procedure.
- Your child has symptoms of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.
- You want to help others with severe COVID-19 illnesses by donating plasma.
If you want rapid test kits for antibody detection, choose Colorado Sanitizing Solutions. You do not need to share your data to use our testing kits. With 15 years of experience serving Denver Metro and surrounding areas, we understand the importance of protecting your health and safety.
