Antibody testing after anosmia - loss of taste and smell

[50but17inside]

I wonder if anyone has had an antibody blood test after experiencing a loss of smell/taste without other symptoms? Two young adult family members took the Abbott blood tests last week - vials have been sent to the lab and we await the results.

I would love to know if anyone has tested positive for antibodies after these symptoms.

Really curious to find out the same thing. For about 10-14 days in March I felt a bit under the weather, no temp or cough, but I did lose my sense of taste and smell for quite some time. I then found out a few weeks later that someone I work with most likely had Corona. Would really like to do the antibodies test, but it’s pricey!

Hi Yes they’re not cheap (£69 looks cheapest at moment from a quick google). but I guess they’ll come down in price the more widely available they become.

I read yesterday that it’s possible people with this symptom may have just had a mild infection and used T cells to fight it without producing antibodies (I don’t pretend to understand what this really means).

Oh I didn’t know that. Yes would be interesting to find out!

The pressure from ENT UK has apparently made PHE change the reasons for self isolation to now include loss of smell and taste.

If anyone has an antibody test now after they’ve had these symptoms it would be so interesting to share the results. I will post as soon as we hear our two family members’ test results - should be this afternoon.

Awaiting your results with interest!

Does anyone know any reputable places where one can get the PHE approved (Roche?) test?

Or do you have to wait and see if you get called in to a population surveillance programme?

Or can you request via your GP?

(I'm kind of assuming frontine staff will be offered then through their workplaces)

I believe there are now two CE approved tests - Abbott and Roche. Not sure if Roche privately available but Abbott Antibody tests now available by post from various private GP services - just google you’ll see a few between £69-100. You have to squeeze blood into a vial. A bit of a faff but perfectly do-able if you read the instructions through a couple of times first

I'm kind of assuming frontine staff will be offered then through their workplaces

Don't count on it

Following to find out the results!

I'm tempted to buy some Abbott kits but then I'm thinking if it's negative, how am I going to feel after convincing myself I've had it.

We started doing serology tests at my hospital about two weeks ago. They're being sent to Quest Diagnostics, who use the Abbott test.

Interestingly, or may be it’s just one of those things, but 4 of us took the test. The two who had no symptoms at all but were around the two with anosmia have come back negative today. Disappointing but expected.

The two results we really want back haven’t come despite us all sending off at same time. I’m so hoping this is because they are positive and gone in to a different system for reporting - I would like to think that positive antibody people would be of huge interest for research purposes going forward??

Hopefully we will find out tomorrow. I will post the outcome.

Thanks for the update OP, will look forward to hearing more. I think household transmission is much less of a given than I at first thought, probably especially in mild cases where you are not coughing etc.

The two of them don’t normally live together but were at the same party in Central London in late February. Both then went back to their own lives in different cities until March 23 when they both came home. Neither had taste or smell. It was very odd and never happened to either before. I am now thinking this was possibly a late symptom and therefore by the time they got to us they were not infectious ... but this is all supposition until we get the results and know for a fact that they have antibodies. Just a very strange co-incidence.

Really interested in your results. DH felt ill in mid March, loss of smell and taste, really tired but no fever and no cough. DD and I had no symptoms despite us all isolating together ie DH was not in separate room.

5 members of DH team were all ill at the same time, a few days after a team night out.

He was convinced it was Covid but I wasn't, partly due to the lack of fever/cough and partly due to me not getting it.

Well as I suspected they have both tested positive!!!!

Oh, that's interesting!!! Now the question is - will it change their attitude to following lockdown rules?

I'm awaiting my own antibody test result - I had a nasty dry cough in late Jan through to mid-Feb, and later a bit of a stuffy nose - but not classic cold symptoms. Dismissed it at the time, but since hearing that C19 may have been in the country a lot longer than previously thought I decided to splash out.

It would be a comfort for me to find out I have had it because I'm in the vulnerable (though not shielding) group.

That's really interesting! Thanks for the update x

Puzzledobserver. I do hope not - they could obviously still carry it on fingers and clothes. They are both very switched on about all this, they won’t put anyone else at risk.

One has asthma (brown and blue inhalers, no oral suppression so not shielded) so I was very concerned what would happen if they did get exposed to virus - looks like their immune system fought it off without any lung issues. I am beyond relieved.

The other is starting a job facing general public soon so the fact that they won’t breathe it out at people is good news for everyone.

Can I ask did you have to go somewhere to take the test?

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. It will be really interesting to see people’s results from these tests as more are done, especially when people have only had very mild symptoms.

I made a phone call to a private gp service. Four tests were sent to us in post. We all did them and posted them off in separate pre addressed envelopes to a lab in London. Gp got emailed the results and Forwarded them to us. No appointment was necessary. It was a Bit of a faff to get the blood in the vial - very helpful if you have someone with you to hold it steady - But honestly perfectly do-able. Just read the instructions properly first.

Thanks for the update, very interesting!

They're just starting to approve saliva based antibody tests in the US. That will make it much more practical for home use.