Antibody testing thread 2

[Egghead68]

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

I got my result today: negative for antibodies. Test via London Doctor’s Clinic (who were efficient - test arrived within the promised 2 days, and was turned around in one working day).

I (and DP and DS) had the classic symptoms in mid March, and we live in a London hotspot. I started with chills and fever for a few days plus horrible dry cough. Hot flushes over the next week. Lost taste and smell, sore throat. Cough took three weeks to clear.

Disappointed it’s not positive to be honest! I’d do the Roche one if it becomes available on the NHS.

@NaturalBlondeYeahRight same here. I got almost every symptom except for the loss of smell and taste. I thought i had diminished smell but not really sure. It all started for me as well when DS came back from a ski trip to Switzerland. He was coughing for 2 months too. No one else in the house was unwell, so i really do wonder if there is another similar virus that we should be aware of.

Sent off our 2 treated.com at 4pm on Friday
DP result just come back about an hour ago- negative
Mine haven't come through yet.

He was working in Italy and came back from Milan very ill in late Feb- whole family then caught whatever it was in turn- up to student daughter who came back home on 20th March.

Now 6 days since I sent off my Blue Horizon test and I still haven’t heard. I contacted Blue Horizon who say they have no way of knowing what’s happened to my sample as a separate lab handles it. Not great.

Ask which lab and ring them direct Egghead

Ahh that's annoying Egghead. I hope they're just really busy with loads of tests. I've not heard back either but I'm telling myself it's because of the bank holiday weekend.

Just read that regulators have told labs to stop testing finger prick samples. FFS. Literally posted mine off yesterday morning (Abbott via Healthpath).

Good idea - thanks @Dorual

Do you think that the regulators are stopping labs testing / issuing results for samples that have already arrived? Or only preventing the labs from taking new ones? I will be mightily fucked off if mine (posted it back last Thursday) doesn't give a result, and Superdrug don't offer a refund! Have heard nothing from them...

@hopsalong I’m not sure. It read as though they told them to halt testing rather than stop accepting new samples. But, I’m wondering why more newspapers aren’t running the story...

I’m going to be so annoyed if they refuse to test my sample...

Looks like we might have been swizzled out of our money then if it doesn’t work. Anyone planning to email Treated?

I read this on another thread last night. Had just ordered mine yesterday. Surely if they don't accept/process them, we should get our money back? Isn't it breach of contract (or something!)

I’m sure they will have to refund us. Very annoying though.

I’m going to be so annoyed if they refuse to test my sample...

I would assume that you can do a SAR if it has been tested? I am assuming that mine has as my DH result came through and they were posted together.

I asked about mine and they said they will try to locate my test. They did say that they have a huge amount of orders coming in constantly, so I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a while.

I would be so disappointed if it got lost in the post though. I'm an idiot and didn't write down the tracking number on the return envelope because I was in such a rush to take it to the post box.

Was yours Blue Horizon @Pondertweak? Did you call or email? I stupidly didn’t write down the tracking number either. I expect my sample will have “gone off” by now.

So irritated about this. After messaging Superdrug ineffectually I phoned the doctor's laboratory who confirmed that mine hadn't arrived. They said that this was normal because it's taking samples a week or more to come in. (Why? Normal post working fine for me.) So they're now processing ones posted early last week. (I posted mine on Thursday.)

The lady I spoke to also confirmed that after a week the blood has often degraded to the point of becoming unusable anyway.

What a mess.

Mine was the London Medical Lab. I dropped them an email this morning and got a response a couple of hours later. I didn't even think about the sample going off. If I need to do another one I will get a million lancets! It was such a hassle last time.

PS, I really could do with getting results for this. I'm almost certain I had covid 19 and am currently caring for someone recovering from major surgery for cancer who is meant to be self-isolating. If I knew I had had it I would feel much more confident about helping with washing, getting in and out of bed etc, and this would make a big difference to the quality of care I can provide.

So can anyone recommend a lab (I think I'll go in person; I live in central London) where I can get results quickly, ideally tomorrow or Th, if I can go today? I would be so grateful.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/english-retailers-told-halt-coronavirus-home-antibody-test-deliveries

From the above, it looks like home testing has come to a stop as they aren't sure finger prick tests are as accurate as venous testing. I did wonder about whether it would work, as some hospital tests can't be done with finger prick tests, but it was the only way to get a home test. We have someone in the house who is shielding with a life-limiting condition, so it would have been great to know if we had had CV already.

I don't know what the stopping of testing means for people with outstanding tests. For those who have contacted Blue Horizon, how are you contacting them? I have sent a few emails, but haven't heard anything back about 2 out of 4 tests which we haven't had results for.

@hopsalong i went to samedaydoctor on Queen Anne street

I don’t think mine are going to come now. Blue Horizon aren’t answering my emails.
Queen Anne St is 2.5 miles from me and I don’t think I can walk it (I have post covid heart problems), I have no car and I can’t use public transport (I am in the shielding group). I think I’ll have to wait for the NHS one if it ever materialises.

Ooh - a private GP a mile away is doing clinic blood-draw ones for £95. Hope they can fit me in.

I’ve got my Blue Horizon result at last. Negative, predictably, although it now says accuracy may drop off more than 14 days after symptoms started ( I took the blood draw on day 61).
Oh well - must have not produced many antibodies or must have had that other illness going round that is identical to Covid..,

I've been waiting a week for my results and I've just had an email from the company saying they've been told to pause testing so they won't give me the result until the govt unpause. I'm a bit sick of this government sticking their nose in. It's a private endeavour. I was satisfied with the specificity and sensitivity of the test when I decided to buy it.