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

Searching online just gets me articles about the tests, not anyone offering them

I don’t understand why you need to know if it’s not going to effect sticking to the social distancing rules. These tests are not very accurate so not worth the money.

I think I had the virus at the beginning of lockdown, yes I would be interested to know if I have immunity but I wouldn’t pay £260 to find out as it’s not going to make much difference to my life right now.

You need to understand:

a) Specificity
b) Sensitivity
c) The prevalence of disease in the population being tested.

This is important.

A positive test in a population that is likely to have antibodies (e.g. a population who have had symptoms) is more likely to be a true positive compared to a positive in a population who are just being generally screened.

I sometime think I should get myself some kits and a machine and do the tests. I have got a qualification so that would work when trying to flog tests to people.

@AmelieTaylor.......they’re not in London

I live a 40 minute commute to London so it’s feasible for me to get it done

They are actually a lovely family to work for and I see them as family

Yes, I'm just a random poster on a talk site - every person should do their own due diligence.

I will post a picture of the box/contents if it arrives on my kitchen table as I said - it might be dodgy as fuck 🤷‍♀️

I paid with my credit card which has been debited as I've checked online so hopefully I'm covered

I'm not sorry what the point of having it done is?

If you have had a mild version of the virus, my understanding (and open to correction) is that, that doesn't stop you from having it again.
If you have had it, you still need to abide by government guidelines.
If the test shows you have not had it, will it increase your anxiety levels?

Obviously, each to their own and as far as I can see the OP's personal decision to pay privately for this is their own decision and will not impact anyone else, but I'm not sure I see the benefits.

I will post a picture of the box/contents if it arrives on my kitchen table as I said - it might be dodgy as fuck

Guessing it's a finger prick test if you are doing it yourself.

So you'll see a line.

Assuming the antibodies are still there.
And it's sensitive enough.
And there aren't false positives.

The actual tests should retail for about £10 - if that's the 'pregnancy' type tests you have got.

@Aridane

She's answered the question

theDudesmummywhere did you buy the test?

theDudesmummy is the website?

Also please note I have only provided the standard link to the crappy Daily Mail article on the Abbott test and NOT to where I bought it so I can't be accused of promoting any clinic

She's answered it just not to Dudes liking, but she's not under any obligation to do so and repeatedly asking isn't going to change that!

Ooh I'd like to take a test. good luck Op.

chomunga - No, I prick my finger and fill a small tube and the courier takes it back to lab

Nothing like a pregnancy test

Ignore what I said about pregnancy test - clearly didn't read the whole OP

It's also more likely that if you've had it the next time you get it will be a weaker effect

Not necessarily. There's some thought that those who have had severe infections (e.g. hospitalised patients) may get a milder infection next time while those who had mild symptoms may experience a more severe outcome with future infections.

Nothing like a pregnancy test

In a sense it is - it's the same principle except you get to work out the quantity of antibodies.

But less 'is it a line' vs what's the level.

@imsooverthisdrama there was a report from France yesterday that a respected doctor there went back over old blood and other tests from pre-Covid knowledge where the patient had symptoms which at the time were covid like but China hadnt released info on the virus. He found positive Covid-19 in at least 1 from 27/12/19 out of 22, and now suggests reviewing other pre-Covid knowledge tests in his and other countries.

So it's very possible that lots of us who suggested we think we may have had it earlier on did.

Does the courier wait while you milk blood out of your finger??

I wish we could get one done.

Yes, the courier waits

@MotherofTerriers

Ditto!

sleepwhenidie
The article seems to claim T cell response only might be possible and it's definitely true that T cells will clear virus infected cells; however, it's really unlikely that a naïve antigen (i.e. Covid-19) would fail to raise a B cell response at all.

There might be some cases where testing is too early, or the threshold of the test is too high (giving false negatives) or even where the B cell response doesn't result in long lasting memory cells. But I'd bet a £99 Covid antibody test that everyone who has actually had it more than 28 days ago would have some level of circulating anti-Covid antibodies.

@LaurieFairyCake
How much blood is needed? A teeny bit, like a blood sugar test, or some in a tube?

I will just keep my £260, I have to spend something like that on my car later. I haven't used my car for 5 weeks, but I know it needs a new tyre,and some other jobs done on it.

I am a bit creeped out about a courier taking it back to the lab, I would much rather post it. Who knows what they are doing with the blood as there's no way to tell where the 'lab' he is taking it is, or check how they are going to store your data and erm, DNA. At least he knows the address of a couple who have more money than sense mind!

Looks like quite a bit blood to me Sluggish

Repeated squeezes of finger - looks about 10 ml?

That sounds like an opportunity for a good scam.

Set up a website. Add good scientific pictures.
Post out a blood sampling kit.
Get someone to collect it.
Send out some figures later on to say positive or negative.
Add some disclaimers.

Not that this is a scam. But it's one heck of a good way to scam people.

I am not creeped out by a courier having my dna ...

I mean he could get my dna off my door handle

Or stuff I throw away

I can't even imagine what nefarious purposes they're going to get up to with my blood