Frequently Asked Questions About Coronavirus Antibody Testing

Antibody testing, also called serology tests, serves as a useful means to detect the antibodies in your blood sample. The presence of antibodies indicates that the patient has had a past infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The antibodies can also develop after a person gets vaccinated.

The presence of antibodies provides you with immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It also helps in curtailing the further spread of the virus.

Antibody tests help in determining the percentage of the population already infected by the virus and who has developed antibodies. Let us discuss some of the frequently asked questions about Coronavirus antibody testing.

1.    What are antibodies?

Our immune system can detect the presence of foreign objects and microbes in our bodies. When a person is infected by the coronavirus, the immune system develops special proteins called antibodies. Hence, the antibodies are immune responses that help in eliminating chances of future infection.

2.    What does a coronavirus antibody testing result signify?

When you get yourself tested for the antibodies, there are two likely outcomes. Let us discuss them in detail.

•    Positive test results

A positive antibody test indicates that you have been previously infected and developed antibodies as an immune response. However, in some cases, you can also receive a false-positive result.

A coronavirus antibody testing can detect antibodies other than those formed in response to SARS-CoV-2, resulting in a false-positive test result.

•    Negative test results

A negative SARS-CoV-2 result indicates that the antibodies to the virus were not detected in your sample. If you did not have a coronavirus infection in the past, the antibodies may not have formed in your blood.

However, many patients do not develop antibodies even after being infected by the virus. There could also be false-negative results due to inaccuracy even when the blood sample has antibodies for SARS-CoV-2.

3.    Does a negative antibody test result mean that the person is not infected by the coronavirus?

Coronavirus antibody testing should not be used to check for current infection. Antibodies are developed in the body after weeks of exposure to the virus. Hence, an infected person may not have any antibodies in their blood. However, this does not rule out the possibility of active infection.

4.    Does a positive antibody test mean you are immune to the virus?

The positive antibody test means you have antibodies in your blood. However, it does not indicate whether the antibodies can protect you completely from coronavirus.

Even if the answer is yes, the duration of such protection cannot be determined. Also, it cannot rule out the chances of you infecting other people with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
 
Now that you have gathered all the information about the testing, you can book your appointment for coronavirus antibody testing.