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Does anyone know if there is a way to test if you have already had the virus

11 replies

Jenasaurus · 06/03/2020 08:11

My DD fell very ill in January and in the end was taken to hospital, this was before the Coronavirus was a main focus in the news and testing wasn't being carried out. One of their main concerns was her temperature was so high and even with liquid paracetamol didn't come down, she said she felt like she was dying, had a sore throat as was being sick constantly for 4 days, they gave her a drip and eventually after 3 weeks she started to get better, they asked her if she had been abroad (we had just returned from Tenerife) but I believe that's a standard question when someone presents with a hard to diagnose infection. She had a blood culture and a scan which showed damage to her kidneys. Her BF at the same time had a high temperature and a dry cough, this went on for over a month but he was able to carry on as it was mild, his work place all ended up with coughs and it probably wasn't the virus but if they have had it, is there a way to test for antibodies to it, it would be a relief for people who fear catching it but have already had it.

OP posts:
carlyclock · 06/03/2020 08:17

Isn't the advice to call 111 and they decide?

Jenasaurus · 06/03/2020 08:22

Isnt that for testing for an active case and not for one that is recovered though?

OP posts:
cologne4711 · 06/03/2020 08:23

I would have thought that they could detect the antibodies for it? But I guess they need all the tests for potentially active cases.

Aridane · 06/03/2020 08:24

Had he recently come back from a Wuhan?

If not, why waste resources for the hypothetical?

Reallybadidea · 06/03/2020 08:28

AFAIK there is no widely available test for it currently. I think the chances of it being coronavirus is extraordinarily unlikely as we would be seeing far, far higher case numbers now if had been circulating widely since January.

Jenasaurus · 06/03/2020 08:31

You’re right. I’ve given my head a wobble.

OP posts:
carlyclock · 06/03/2020 08:31

Isnt that for testing for an active case and not for one that is recovered though?

Sorry I thought your DD was still unwell. If she is recovered and it was 2 months ago there is no benefit in finding out even if you could. If it was CV it is far too late for any kind of action to be taken, both in terms of her health and containing any potential spread.

Thislittlefinger · 06/03/2020 08:32

I've been wondering the same. I know of 2 elderly people who have died from the high temp/ cough/ pneumonia virus that been going around this January. They obviously weren't tested as there was no mention of coronavirus at the time. I also know many more who have had the cough/ fever lasting for weeks. I would be very interested to see if they still had the virus. I read it can be a negative result and then positive again a few days later.

Neverenoughcoffee · 06/03/2020 09:59

Not yet. They're working on an antibody test.
I would have thought that if it was circulating more freely in the community, more cases would have shown up in the thousands of tests they've done so far.

Thislittlefinger · 06/03/2020 22:36

Maybe it's just in hotspots though or most of the people who had it have recovered and now test negative.

Lotuscup563 · 08/03/2020 16:20

They won’t test anyone unless you have been abroad, or with someone confirmed affected....so it wouldn’t have shown up in the thousands of tests they’ve done, because there not testing the general public so to speak. They are testing people who have come back from travelling only.

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