Antibody testing thread 2

[Egghead68]

Thread for people thinking about, doing, or awaiting results of COVID-19 antibody tests.

Here’s the up-to-date government documentation on antibody testing:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-antibody-tests

It actually says this on my test results.
Please note: This test is CE marked for
venesection samples only. Initial samples obtained
by self-collection have been verified by the
laboratory as performing within the same
performance criteria as those taken by venesection
and studies are on-going. This test has been
submitted to UKAS for accreditation

I read an article on venous vs fingerprick tests for Ebola. Although venous is better, I still would have expected more positives than is being reported. Perhaps it is the time gap issue.

Or t-cells fighting it off instead of antibodies?

@Egghead68 this was my method. Few years ago I tried Thriva and wasn’t able to get a single sample despite stabbing myself repeatedly. I got myself all wound up and scared. It was horrifying, stressful and faintly ridiculous. So I knew I had to plan for this..

1. Set everything up in the bathroom/kitchen beforehand
2. Do some exercise. Anything, especially if it makes your hands swell (this happens to me easily as I am exceedingly lazy)
3. Wash hands in hot soapy water straight after exercise
4. Wipe with the alcohol wipe, dry with tissue
5. Sample bottle on something low (chair or something)
6. Non-dominant hand put palm up on a surface (this step was important as it stops you instinctively trying to move away)
7. Use the lancet on the side of the little finger not the finger tip
8. Just do it really quickly - push pretty hard (It honestly barely hurts)
9. Wipe away the first drop

10. Hand down, wait for drop to form and drop into the tube. Some squeezing (didn’t need much) to get next few drops.

Do it quickly and try not to overthink. I reckon my previous thriva fail was because my hands weren’t hot, I didn’t use the side of the finger and kept moving away from the lancet.

Actually there was a bit more to step 8. I sort of pinned my hand up against the sink so it couldn’t get away, and said loudly FFS stop being a baby while I faked bravado and pushed the lancet in.

Just to find it didn’t hurt.

Thanks @Fragglerock2. That’s really helpful. If I end up doing this too I’ll buy some more lancets as well (2 was not enough this time).

Just spoke to treated.com and their lab is being taken over by the government to do their antibody tests soon so these may stop becoming available soon as I assume this will happen to lots of labs. They are meant to be sending a replacement test but might not be able to do it now so may just get a refund instead.

@Pinkpather40 do you mind sharing what your symptoms were and did they withdraw the blood at the pharmacy itself ?

I also caught something around 5th of March but it was basically just a continuous cough that lasted 3 weeks and was pretty bad at night but no fever no shortness of breath or anything else 🤔

So the ending to my testing adventure is no answer 🤦‍♀️

Ordered from Treated.com, couldn't get a big enough sample. Threw the tube away and they sent me a new one. Second test managed to fill the tube to the top but it took more lancets than they provided. Sent off but took four days for a result and then they said there wasn't enough blood. No idea why as this tube was full. Treated.com offered to send another test or refund, I asked to try again, they then changed their mind today and said no because they had already sent two. But they have still given me a refund so I can't really be too annoyed with them as I know someone else went with a company on the other thread who weren't refunding. So I have still have no idea if I had it. Won't be buying another one from somewhere else as the labs are being taken over for government testing now anyway.

Happy testing everyone else, hope you're more successful than I was

Did the Abbot test and posted it back this morning.

I had no issues at all with the blood collection, it took me about 5 mins.

I'm not that hopeful now given comments about home testing and length of time since symptoms (already 10 weeks for me) but we'll see.

I'm hoping the Roche test gets rolled out for key workers soon and I can have one done with a blood draw.

My test was negative. Abbott test. I actually got the results a couple of days ago but didn't realise for a few days because it was in my spam folder. First got ill in mid March. Had a fever for 28 days with chest pain and breathing problems at night. It's the sickest I've been in my adult life so now worried that either I'm still to get it or I don't have immunity so I'll get it again.

I was poorly from 12th March. Son and husband also poorly. I’ve had a negative test via treated; pretty gutted.

I found when I pricked my pointer finger the blood just flowed and filled up in no time; my first two attempts using my little fingers barely got 2 drops out of them.

That’s awful @Haget. After all that. I am glad you got your money back at least.

Is anyone else still waiting on a Blue Horizon year from last Thursday or earlier?

Year=test

I'm still waiting from last Thursday, but it wasn't Blue Horizon. I actually forgot who I went with. It was the London Medical Lab one, I think. I'm getting a bit impatient as I fear that it may have got lost.

@haget what a nightmare!!

@Fragglerock2 the summoning up the courage to push down the lancet was definitely the worst bit for me, agree it didn’t hurt at all!! Amazingly had no issues with the blood collection and have just posted my Treated test off special delivery so I know it will arrive tomorrow. Let’s see what happens!! I am convinced I had CV but let’s see the results!

Reading with interest as my husband has just sent in a blue horizons one. Now doesn't sound too promising as what might have been it was a while ago plus them saying it shouldn't be done at home in that earlier link.

Presumably the government will Roche test everyone at some point? Aren't we supposed to find out if we've had it and get a special certificate?

@Egghead68 check your spam folder.

I heard they have bought 100 million antibody tests, so more than enough for everyone.

@GrapefruitsAreNotTheOnlyFruit same here and I am still unwell. I also got a blood draw done and so can't even explain the negative that it was a finger prick blood test. Feeling disappointed and more anxious as what else did I then have that caused identical symptoms to covid and if a lot of us had this alternative virus instead, Public Health should be talking about it too

This is interesting, I think there obviously is some sort of immunity
once you’ve had Covid

www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/52801672/coronavirus-the-search-for-antibody-super-donors

Thanks @GrapefruitsAreNotTheOnlyFruit. I did but no luck.

@Alex50 thanks for the link. It’s not clear, as far as I can see, that everyone gets some immunity.

There is definitely something odd going on here. No wonder the gov haven’t run out antibody testing to population quickly, I get colds fairly easily but I’ve never had the odd symptoms that I had with this, after daughter had been skiing in Austria/other daughter came back from uni, DH commutes on train and I’d just flown.
I had conjunctivitis, sinitus, headaches, dry cough, temperature, lethargy, dodgy stomach. All signposted as symptoms and a weird collection when put together! The only one I didn’t have was loss of taste/smell.
Curse the fact that I couldn’t get tested at the time. I just want to know.

@user34254356 the other thing is my husband has had a cough for two months. Now I've known him for 20 years and in all that time he has never coughed for as much as a few days before.

I think I am going to try not to worry about it!