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

Take 2: still didn't bleed much at all despite doing loads of things to try and help. For anyone else struggling to I tried wearing gloves for a while before to make sure my hands were warm, then washing them in warm water, did some exercise, kept my arms down by my sides and massaged my hand and finger. Luckily I'd purchased some extra lancets so I did manage to get enough for a sample this time but only after using some of those too. The best one I found was on the tip of my small finger. Will put in the post tomorrow. Hopefully it will be in time to get a result before the weekend 🤞

Sorry about the mistakes in that post I have so many sore fingers I can't type properly anymore 🤦‍♀️

I dont envy anyone that's had to stab themselves more than worse. My poor pinky is throbbing

I have 8 holes across 4 different fingers now 😢 will not be doing that again any time soon. Hope it's enough to get a result.

I’m so tempted but still not sure how accurate they seem to be

Hi everyone, my Abbott test from Treated arrived today, I’m going to do the test tomorrow so I can post it same day. Not looking forward to the gathering of the sample after these posts!!!

It's important to get a Riche it Abbott. Some of the tests on the market are not approved-because they're not as accurate.

Roche and Abbott

My sons results came through, despite being horrifically ill in feb, they were negative.

How many people on here have done the Abbott fingerprick test AND had a positive result? Seems like hardly anyone!!

@HowFurloughCanYouGo seems like a lot of anecdotal stories of people v ill (particularly in London) January / Feb time with coronavirus type symptoms but testing negative. All rather strange... I’m also sure I got CV in March at start of lockdown and I will be surprised (and disappointed!) if my test is negative.

I think it probably proves what we keep being told, lots of other viruses in circulation.
However, interesting article here: 7news.com.au/travel/coronavirus/why-a-positive-covid-19-antibody-test-doesnt-mean-much-of-anything-yet-c-1042399

There are still other viruses going round though HowFurloughCanYouGo. I was really ill in December with symptoms matching CV. Took me weeks to recover. If I'd have had those symptoms in March there would be absolutely no doubt in my mind that I'd had CV . However it's likely that I had a different nasty respiratory virus. Theres alot of them kicking around.

So, has the original OP received her results yet?

@Bananasandorangessss we did the Abbott test and I was negative but my parter was positive

My husband and I did the Private Coronavirus Tests antibody test at home on Monday morning, posted off before midday and got emailed results next day (last night). Both positive as expected. Our symptoms were in March just at the beginning of lockdown. I don't know who the manufacturer of the test is but we paid £49 each as we're both NHS.

DH got his result this morning, negative.
I knew that was by far the most likely outcome as he was ill in late Feb, still feel v disappointed though. Would have been such a relief to get a positive.

This is interesting

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/886158/PHEEEvaluationoffAbbottSARSSCoV22IgG.pdf

Thanks for posting this @onlinelinda. Interesting that the sensitivity DROPS after 40 days. I have deliberately left mine to 2 months as I thought this would increase sensitivity.

They say:
The assay gave an overall sensitivity of 92.71%, with a sensitivity ≥14 days of 93.90%. The sensitivity of the assay at ≥21 days post symptom onset is 93.40% and at >40 days post symptom onset is 87.5%

Influenza A was going round before christmas and into January

This means that PHE independently found the Abbott test to be on average 93.9% sensitive and if you had the disease more than 40 days ago, it is 87.5% sensitive. So not 100%, as claimed by the manufacturers.

It has left me wondering why, if the PHE evaluation only took 5 days, which it did, they didn't do it earlier? Surely more of us would have been able to get a positive result.

If you and I haven't haven't had Coronavirus, @egghead68, after all we've been through, then I'm a Dutchman (as my grandmother used to say), positive test or not!

I wonder why they approved it despite the low sensitivity finding? Does anyone know what the statistics were for the PHE evaluation of the Roche test?

I found the Roche evaluation. It is here:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886159/PHE_Evaluation_of_Roche_Elecsys_anti_SARS_CoV_2.pdf

I’m also tempted by this antibody test. I’ve been ill with a tight chest and cough since March 24th, so into my 8th week now. I want to know but mostly really just want it all to go away.