Antibody tests - had one and it's negative and I now feel really upset

[FacingMyWaterloo]

I know this might sound ridiculous and I'm partially posting for you all to slap me round the face with a wet fish...

I work in central London and have a train/tube plus bus or walk commute. I'm defined as a key worker and though I have been able to do some work at home, I've also still had to go in, on and off.

In the middle of March, I had the coronavirus symptoms. 3 days after I came down with them, my partner (who is asthmatic, and works from home anyway) got the same symptoms as me but worse.

I need to do more work in town v soon so thought for peace of mind, we would have a private antibody test. We were absolutely convinced we had had it. His has come back positive and mine is negative and I feel totally devastated. I actually wish we hadn't had them done now. I did read there is more chance of a false negative and there are some people whose antibody levels don't pick up enough to test anyway.

Please talk some sense in me because for some reason I feel utterly miserable about it. Dp is of course delighted and now feels invincible yet he's the one who gets to stay at home anyway!

I keep hearing that none of the extant antibody tests have high reliability rates, so I would be wary of reading too much into it - and your DP should exercise caution.

I didn't think we had any reliable antibody tests yet?

They’ve just said on the news that the antibody tests are pointless because there’s nothing to say that we build any immunity to it and you can get it again. So your dh may not be as invincible as he thinks...!

Also if yours is negative and his is positive I would imagine there’s a good chance yours is a false neg.

There isn’t a reliable antibody test so you’ve been fleeced unfortunately. It’s also illegal to sell them In the UK.

Where did you even get one? I thought they hadn't been able to manufacture consistently reliable ones? I wouldn't have wasted my money and I certainly wouldn't be thinking about the results, may as well do a pregnancy test.

I didnt think there were any reliable ones?! Surely its criminal to be giving false medical info?

I clicked as I had symptoms end March and would love to know if it was IT as Id assumed Id be a ventialtor case...

This one has been tested and it's rare you get a false positive but apparently more likely to get false negatives (it was done via a private Gp)

I was just hoping they would both be positive and I could feel a bit better about the commute. It wouldn't change my behaviour, it was more of an anxiety about picking it up on a filthy tube!

Yes I know they don't know re getting it again/immunity anyway but I was just hoping to feel a tiny bit better!

You can get them administered privately, accuracy is supposedly above 97%.

If his is pisitive, u still need to self isolate because u maybe a carrier.

Im not sure why u r sad? U shouldnt go to work when one member in ur household is positive

I would take the result with a pic of salt, maybe you just got a false negative if he has a positive. It is very contagious therefore would be likely

Ha! @user that made me laugh at least

I think I have guilt from going into work and fear about infecting the kids - but I guess we will all be back at some point in the next month or so

Can you supply details about the test?

@Hannah021 it's not a test to show active covid 19 but to show if they've had it in the past. I didnt think there were reliable antibody tests at the moment

Isn’t it possible to have had virus but only mildly so no effective immunity (no antibodies)?

Where did you get the test from?

I’d like one as also confident I’ve had CV.

@dementedpixie ah yes i read the post again, she did say mid march, so both r fine now. Right.

He had it more severely so has more antibodies. Its linke children who gave chicken pox very mildly can often get it again as their immune response is so weak. I get why it would reassure you op. We dont know about immunity yet but goid chance that having a lot if antibodies will go give some protection.. even if just for short time.

You can get them administered privately, accuracy is supposedly above 97%.

Absolute rubbish. A reliable antibody test is the holy grail and every country is desperate to find one. They’re not just ignoring one with a 97% accuracy rate under their nose!!!!

That’s correct, I know those who have taken it privately and mixed results in family. They feel wasted money.

Yeah you've been ripped off.

No way of even knowing what the result means. Inaccurate

@kevintheorangecarrot that ‘clinic’ is not based in London, it In fact has no physical location and is online only trying to trade off the Harley St name. They are also selling home testing kits which are illegal in the UK.

Problems with reliability is why they are ‘batch’ testing, something like that.

Thanks all! I don't want to say where I've had it but you've made me feel a lot better.

Just looking at that website posted above as we contemplated going there but went somewhere else - another friend had a test from them and looking at it now, they have changed their testing method (and their price! £300!) which must mean the science is moving all the time.

@Starrynightsabove thank you for correcting me. I posted it because I looked into it the other week to see whether I'd have Covid 19 as I exhibited symptoms. That's shocking though! Glad I never went ahead with it... too expensive!