To ask if anyone has had an antibody test?

[Lex345]

I work in social care and managed an outbreak during the first wave. I was pretty unwell in March-not poorly enough to need hospital but I am 99% sure it was COVID. DH and DC also unwell at the time, but no testing was available for mild cases then. Since March, I have repeated and prolonged contact with people with confirmed COVID, personally performed swabs on all suspected cases and pillar 2 testing (which have thrown up asymptomatic positives). I am obviously fastidious with hand hygiene and always had access to the recommended PPE (but the FRSMs not N95 or FFP3s, aprons not full gowns). I live in a high incidence area, where the rates have remained high, even during summer. We have stuck to the strictest rules socialising rules apart from work and school, from September. I have had to go food shopping, always wearing a mask, cleaning trolley handles and gelling hands. Always wash hands on return.

All 3 of my children have had contact with confirmed cases (and therefore had to isolate) multiple times since returning to school, have not developed symptoms. I most recently worked in a home at the start of an outbreak where a significant number of staff and residents were infected from one staff member on the same day.

Neither DH, DC nor myself have ever received a positive swab result. I have just had my antibody test results, which was negative for antibodies.

My question-has anyone else had repeated contact with COVID and either not contracted it-or think they had it early on-and returned a negative antibody test result? I am swabbed every single week for COVID. Is it possible to have T Cell immunity (and no antibodies) or immunity from sone other disease in the past?

Or have I just been terribly lucky?

Thank you 😊 my daughter is coughing all the time again at the minute. She’s 7 and it’s keeping her up at night so we’re all shattered. I shall ask for another antibody test even if swabs are negative. Just wondering how long it’ll take for the results to come back 😂

I had Covid in March and only had an antibody test last week, along with DH and adult DC. We all tested positive, although DC3 had only one night of feeling unwell, and DC1&2 only had taste/smell issues,no other symptoms. I was ill for almost a month, but no chest/breathing/fever issues.

I was unwell near the beginning and managed to get myself a covid test which came back negative. My fever lasted 8 days and my GP was sure I'd had a false negative test. I got an antibody test round about June and it was positive. I would be interested to have it repeated to see if I still have antibodies however I don't meet the criteria for it.

I am convinced I had Covid late last year - I was off work intermittently for about 4 weeks with an awful cough, lethargy and feeling rubbish. My parents were also ill a few days after seeing me. I saw/spoke to my GP several times over that Winter begging for help as I was coughing so much I was almost vomiting. She eventually prescribed me an inhaler which helped. She then tested me for whooping cough after I was still coughing three months later. My antibody test a couple months later was negative. I'm still not right now (breathlessness, lethargy and anxiety/depression). Covid has been around a lot longer than we think and I am utterly convinced that the infection rate we had in March/April/May was our 2nd wave.

Yes DH is repeatedly negative ( antibody and swabs) and is in the vaccine trial. He has been repeatedly exposed both at home - I was pretty unwell with Covid ( and have antibodies) and at work.

I think he has T cell immunity

Yes I recently had a positive antibody test as part of a study. I was ill with suspected Covid back in March and haven’t been ill since, so presume it was from then, although possible that was something else and I had it asymptomatically later on.

A medic friend of mine has worked closely with Covid patients throughout with regular swabs and antibody tests and she’s been negative the whole time.

Had covid in June. I'm onto my 4th monthly antibody test. Still positive but levels have dropped. I think November will be my last test.
I know staff who had the virus (positive swab) then tested negative antibodies

I was unwell in December, as were a lot of my work colleagues (work in a large transport hub) with what would now be ‘classic’ COVID symptoms. My DH also had it and took months to get rid of his cough (was shielded as classed as vulnerable). No antibody tests available at the time and hospital told my DH they will only do one in this area if you are booked in for a procedure.

Coincidentally, I have been randomly selected to do an antibody test by post, so will be interesting to see the results of that. I’m not sure if anything will show if it WAS COVID that I had as it was over ten months ago.

I had covid in March (caught from a patient), I'm still on ventolin.
I was tested for antibodies in July and was negative.

Just to add that I’m a nurse and work on the covid ward. About a third of my colleagues who have tested positive for covid had no antibodies as they decline very quickly after infection. I found an article yesterday that suggests they are completely gone within 3 months

A few people at work for had covid tested positive for the antibodies.
Also nurses.

I work in social care too, DP works in a hospital. I was in contact with a confirmed case on 13th March. Developed cough snd asonia 18th DP developed symptoms 20th, DD 23rd March.

DP got positive antibody test in May. I started working in a hospital on 6 July, had antibody test negative.

DH and I had Covid in March. I got positive antibody test in July and DH Got positive antibody test in September.

Honestly I think those people who say they have had it but got negative antibody test haven’t had it.

I know loads of people who say they reckon they had it in Jan/Feb. They didn’t. They had another flu type virus.

I wish my antibody test had come back negative - I find it embarrassing admitting I’ve had it, like I didn’t wash my hands or social distance enough

The negative antibody tests are very interesting. I saw my friend at the beginning of March shortly before she came down with classic symptoms. 3 days later I came down with similar symptoms but less severe. In June she then paid for an antibodies test and it came back positive. As I was planning on surgery, I wanted to know if I also had antibodies. Mine came back negative. Perhaps mine had worn off, the bug we had wasn’t coronavirus or she had 2 bugs at the same time.

There are nurses/HCP's and consultants in DP's team who had a positive antigen test and have had a negative antibody test. All female, under 50. The male nurses/HCP's and consultants who had a positive antigen test had a positive antibody test too. It isn't scaremongering. It is just recounting observed diagnostic test results isn't it? I am a child health researcher now (was a social worker before) so I have no idea what my motivation would be to scaremonger

I've had 2. Positive in July, negative in September. Gutted.

@Littlepond - are you a medical expert in this field?

@TwoCupsOfLemonTea because I'm sick of ppl spreading rot on the Internet about COVID.

Yes it's serious, no, it's not the end of humidity

I had something in April, which put me in bed for a fortnight, and have had CFS /‘long Covid’ ever since, gradually easing but still having an impact. Negative (BUPA) antibody test two weeks ago. I’m slightly reassured b this thread that I’m not necessarily a Covid fantasist/hypochondriac.

How easy are these to access, nhs or privately? Dd is at uni just finished si after being covid positive. Dh is very vulnerable. Having antibodies could make difference as to whether she can come home.

BUPA is £65, depends on your area how many appointments are available.

Brother, SIL and nieces all had it beginning of April. All isolated together for weeks.

SIL and brother positive for antibodies.

Two nieces late teens zero antibodies - much more likely to have good T cell immunity and fought it off that way.

Antibodies are only half the story - T cell immunity much underrated.

I've testednpositive for it, was hospitalized for it and now my antibodies show no immunity to the disease

There was a chest infection bug that was making the rounds in April. I got a bug that started with sore throat, then went in my chest and left me with quite bad chest pains and breathlessness. Also has a little bit of fever one day. It went on for weeks, a clue of days better and then back to feeling very breathless.

I was in contact with someone confirmed so was convinced I'd had it but antibodies came back negative.

Ah should have read this thread earlier!!

I am pretty sure I had it in March as lockdown hit. I was terrified and kept ringing dr/asthma nurse/111 but at that stage their was neither testing or help available.

I have cfs anyway and its been worse but that doesn't nec proove prove anything.

With second lockdown and after being scared of a repeat of before I ordered a Testing For All test. And its come back negative. Im actually disappointed. I wanted to see I'd had it and had some antibody protection.

This thread has helped me see I could still have had it. I'm already being very cautious but especially so now Im scared of catching it (again?!)