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

I’m also awaiting test results. My partner had a positive result. We live separately so haven’t seen each other during lockdown but slept together when she would have been at most contagious in early March. She had a sore throat on the day, which we thought was just a cold, which then developed into dry cough and loss of smell.

Yes of course. Inkpaperstars linked to the data on the Abbott test and pointed out the results were on page 13. There is a table which has results of positive and negative test results split by days since onset of symptoms. The first column is the number of people in that category. In the "more than 40 days" category, the number is 8 with 7 receiving a positive result and 1 a negative. As I think all patients received a positive antigen test at the time of illness, this 1 out of 8 patients is a false negative.

Just putting a couple of points in this post so I don't clog up ops thread too much. I think the article you linked to related mostly to an antigen test by Abbot (whether you have it at the moment).

Fwiw, I am in similar situation to you. Had v definite symptoms in March. Am undecided about test as if it were negative, I would still think I'd had it and the test was wrong (with these accuracy stats). Take care, try not to worry too much. Obviously no-one here can say you definitely did or didn't have it but it sounds very much a possibility despite the test result.

Oops sorry there isn't an "n" column in that table but the numbers in that table are the numbers of patients (or sera - blood samples) so for the 41 - 50 days group, 7 were positive and 1 was negative.

Thank you latinfortelly that is super helpful.

I definitely believe I had it. So thank you for being so helpful.

I am going to try speak to a doctor.

I just wish proper testing has been widely available at the time I had symptoms.

This is a horrible disease but if you can get tested and then not have antibodies and then still pass it on again (say if you pick it up) then that has such serious implications. Makes you wonder just how many deaths the UK is going to have .. it is just so tragic.

have had it.. honestly when I had it it floored me. There were a few days when I could not do anything and could not move. I was so sick at these times that I could not have been able to even call a doctor if that makes sense

If you have the flu you have these symptoms too though?

I've had the flu twice in my 20's when absolutely fit as a fiddle and had stretches of 2-4 days when I struggled to even walk to the bathroom and back.

When you have proper flu (as opposed to a heavy cold that a lot of people call the flu) you realise how so many people can die of it.

Hi yes I have had the flu. I am at increased risk of respiratory issues.

The thing is I had the flu already so I am wanting to find out can I get the flu twice?

But this was different in that it was

Dry cough
Extremely high temperature
Unable to move at all for a few days
Cough that has lingered
Wet cough
Diarrhoea
There were a few days where I could not have called for medical help could not use a phone etc..
I did have rash on toes and fingers were reddish

I have had flu already early in the year..

And this isn't scientific but when I finally got better I had an immense sense of gratitude like I had survived something major exactly as o felt when I pulled through previously after a scary hospital stay..

The thing is whereismymojo I have experience of being really really ill.

Anyway I think my part experience is why I am super vigilant.

I do have a deep seated fear about going to icu .. don't want to end up there.

Now I am doubting myself that I had it and my husband is like no, you had it or you had something that is exactly like covid 19..

Pokemontrainer - the link relates to Abbott antigen tests meant to confirm whether you have got COVID now.

Abbott antigen tests are not very accurate. Abbott antibody tests are supposed to be quite accurate although specificity appears to reduce over time.

I wasnt that ill, Pokemontrainer. That's part of what makes me so sure I had it. It was the oddest bug. Never had to be in bed but kept getting more and more bizarre symptoms. I lost my sense of smell and taste in the 2nd week when nobody was mentioning it, but when I googled, it came up as a symptom in Iran! My cough also went from dry to extremely productive and I had it for 2 months.

Honestly, no one can tell you for definite either way so you don't need to prove yourself on here but it does sound like a high possibility. Hopefully the Roche test will soon be more available and you can take that at your doctor's, especially if you have underlying health conditions. Take care

So received my results back today and they came back negative. I was mildly unwell mid March. Mostly just a continuous cough. I thought I may have had a mild reaction.

So many people with negative results and considering lots were certain they had it, that says to me either the tests aren’t accurate (or doing them at home isn’t working somehow) or else they was another similar virus doing the rounds from the end of last year.

I also think that many people who had negative results still aren’t convinced they didn’t have it so the tests aren’t really bringing any answers.

How long are tests taking to arrive? I ordered one from Babylon a week ago. It hasn't arrived in today's post, which means that now it won't be here until at least Tuesday, given there is no post on saturdays now and it's a bank holiday.

Have to say I'm having major issues with post at the moment.

Got result back and have negative IGG (zero) and positive IGM (1.4).
Certainly not what I was expecting. Perhaps I just don’t make antibodies or am at the start of covid despite isolating

@BillHadersNewWife

Or we have you have something else?!

From the Guardian today:

Researchers at Oxford University recently analysed blood from recovered Covid-19 patients and found that levels of IgG antibodies – those responsible for longer-lasting immunity – rose steeply in the first month of infection but then began to fall again.

Bad news and might explain some of the negative results.

Here is the report referenced in the Guardian article:

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.15.20066407v2

I think the government give you one of these special mugs when you get a positive :) just don't use someone else's at work lol

Thanks everyone. I still think I had it.

Will try chat to a gp.

I have a friend who had covid. I’m tempted to buy us both a test to see what results we get and whether hers is positive when she is known to have definitely had it.

@BillHadersNewWife

Sorry made no sense!

I meant to say that the third option is you don’t / didn’t have it!

If they have lost the test, they need to send OP a new one.

Given one can get this twice where is the benefit to having the test, especially if the antibodies stop showing up over time ? .

Because I suppose for me it showed I recovered from it .. because I have challenging health and am very scared about covid 19 being serious...

But for me yes this entire process has made me think.

Ofcourse I can still get it again but I had hoped I had had it and so would have some evidence that I had managed to recover from it.

I have a friend who had covid. I’m tempted to buy us both a test to see what results we get and whether hers is positive when she is known to have definitely had it.

Now that would be interesting....
How tempted are you, exactly?