I have gone nuts and paid someone to come to my house and do an antibody test on us

[LaurieFairyCake]

Can't take anymore not knowing so I've paid £260 to bike out a test from a lab and wait while we stab ourselves and return our blood to the lab

Dh thinks I've gone a bit batshit but I couldn't take anymore

Disclaimer : it won't affect my behaviour in line with current government guidelines

Ah - we’re speaking at cross purposes - I was referring to this one I linked above I had been thinking of booking an appointment with

www.medicalexpressclinic.co.uk/covid-19-antibody-test

Have checked emails and I used medichecks. I think they had a special offer on at the time.

Sorry - that was to @BoxOfShapes

Ah @Aridane, sorry for missing your earlier post.

I think this is the one you were wondering about: beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05078684
Has same address as the one you linked.

Also it's CQC report is here

Anyway, I think it's time for me to emerge out of this strange rabbit hole!

Have you still not heard? How frustrating!

My friend had symptoms in Nov/Dec and Mar/Apr. Hasn't been tested but Dr says 95% sure that they have had it. However unless tested no one can be sure.

OP if/when you get your results I would be asking for a partial or full refund as you said the results take 2 days and it has been longer than that.

I'm very invested In this ...
Think the tv show friends (did she get off the plane ) that kind of invested.

@LaurieFairyCake Thank you for the most interesting thread on MN in weeks

I too have been a little over invested in the result, and keep checking back on the thread. If they've lost your results surely they can courier you another test?

Following with interest

I wonder why you haven't had your results?

Wow a week later, £60 courier and still not back?!

I wonder why you haven't had your results?

The company used by OP is just one of several intermediaries who send blood samples to a single place - a laboratory run by Abbott.

Abbott is currently overwhelmed by demand (a few people I know are waiting for results at the same time) so I am not surprised getting a response takes such a long time.

In the fairly early days (in England) when testing was only being done on people who were hospitalised only about 1 in 4 tests was coming back positive so either the test was unreliable or 3 in 4 people had something that wasn't covid-19 that was making them ill enough to require hospital treatment. So if the tests are reliable (which they appear to be) there is something else (probably a flu variant) that is making people seriously unwell wih symptoms similar to covid-19.

There were lots of graphs published on the news in the months before it apparently arrived here explaining that it takes a long time until numbers really rise in a particular population, then the R rate shoots up once it gets to a critical mass.

I can't see how it would be possible for so many to have had it for a first peak at Easter if it wasn't here for a few months previously.

I also can't see how, with 120,000 Chinese students returning in January (wearing masks, in my son's uni) it couldn't have been brought over-and more than by two people! That's not including the people coming and going for other reasons, eg family or work, or the cases arriving via other countries.

Also, how is the reliability of these tests any worse than the swab test-which has a 30% failure rate in those positive? I think we should have been told why one was worth pursuing and not the other. Presumably because active infections are more important to try to trace, in any way to hand, regardless of the quality of the test?

@onlinelinda I agree. Also, there were confirmed cases in my DC’s school at the end of Feb/early March. There are a number of overseas boarders including a significant number of Chinese students. They were banned from going home at Feb half term or from being in contact with relatives who had recently arrived from China and certain other countries in the Far East. However, I am convinced it was too late and was brought back into school after the Christmas holidays. I became ill on 20 Feb (during half term).

Wont be reliable you are wasting your money

@User0987613 The guy who runs the lab you are questioning is an ex NHS commissioner who has recently been interviewed by the Financial Times about Covid testing. He has appeared in the press numerous times and runs lots of private clinics. I’ve taken my chances and have ordered after looking into them.

Do you think your results will be the same as your husband’s?

I emailed Roche to see when I could order an Antibody test from them, they replied that it will not be a home testing kit, but their test will consist of taking blood from the vein in a healthcare setting.

I was going to order the same test as OP.

I am very interested in this as I had some really weird symptoms a few weeks ago which do not fit into the obvious category. I am also part of the shielded group as I dont have a spleen. Would love to know if I can be slightly less strict.

However I read you have to keep having the anitbody test as they dont know how long anitbodies might last - does anyone know if this is true?

The company used by OP is just one of several intermediaries who send blood samples to a single place - a laboratory run by Abbott.

No - some UK ones use the German antibody test and send to Germany for analysis

"I can't see how it would be possible for so many to have had it for a first peak at Easter if it wasn't here for a few months previously."

Exponential growth leads to a very rapid increase in a v short time

I was looking at this too but then I watched the video of having to squeeze out the blood from your finger after pricking it to fill up that little vial and it put me right off!!!

Me too! I was about to order one of these tests last week but started to feel faint when watching the instructional video!

Well, the real question is... Are you still going to buy the Robo vacuum @LaurieFairyCake ?