COVID-19 Antibody Testing
Curious if you've had COVID-19 before testing was readily available?
Was someone around you diagnosed with it but your nasal swab came back negative earlier this year?
Are you wanting some peace of mind regarding if your body has some antibodies against COVID-19?
If so, THIS IS FOR YOU!
What does it this test look at?
This looks at IgG and IgM immune markers, which would indicate if your body mounted an immune response if you were exposed to COVID-19. This does NOT diagnose an active infection.
IgM → shows up starting anywhere from about 7-15 days after being exposed
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At 7 days post-exposure, about 40% show the IgM
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By 15 days 100% of people showed it, according to a CDC study
IgG → shows up after the IgG, indicating the infection was further back
How accurate is it?
IgM sensitivity: 99% IgG sensitivity: 96.7%
This test is about 99% specific for picking up COVID-19. Meaning if it’s positive, it’s 99% certain that it was caused by COVID-19 vs. a different virus.
How long does it take to get results?
This is a rapid test and results are ready in about 10 minutes.
Will it be able to tell if I had it months ago?
For the majority of viruses, your body maintains IgG markers long-term. Although, since COVID-19 is relatively new, scientists have been finding that in some individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19, the IgG marker may not stay long-term and that the memory T cells pick up instead. This test doesn’t look at memory T cells.
What’s the difference between this test and the nasal swab PCR rest?
The nasal swab is actually looking for the virus itself. This test only looks for an immune response via IgG and IgM markers if you were exposed to the virus.
Please seek out a diagnostic PCR test (location sites can be found here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/community-testing.htm) if you have been notified that one of your recent close contacts has tested positive for COVID-19. Please DO NOT schedule an antibody test if you are wanting to know if you are currently infected, as this test does not look for the virus itself.