Antibody testing thread 2

[Egghead68]

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

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.

If they have the result can you do a SAR?

Which company, @AKissAndASmile? I rang the London Medical Laboratory earlier having read the Guardian article and the person I spoke to there went off and checked with someone and said they would be processing. Now I wonder if he was just fobbing me off.

If they have the result can you do a SAR?
Hmm, interesting, I suppose I could. It's my data isn't it?

Medichecks @LatinforTelly

That’s annoying @AKissAndASmile.

Agree, very annoying. Medichecks is Nottingham isn't it? So they're probably not all sending to the same lab. Government treating us like children; it makes me cross. I hope they relent, @AKissAndASmile.

Had an email from Babylon telling me about the suspension in results. I ordered my test 11 days ago. It still hasn't arrived. I've been fobbed off twice now with spurious different we sent it out on x dates after being on the phone waiting for ages. So I'm feeling very frustrated. I certainly won't be using their services for anything again.

I've just had my Blue Horizons test back, posted yesterday.

Negative.

Not really surprised given latest developments and I'm 10 weeks post symptoms as well.

I will have a Roche test if I get the chance.

Sorry @JaggedHedge. They don’t seem to be getting many positives based on our small sample.

Terrible @OYBBK. Babylon are currently messing up some other tests of mine now too.

I’ve booked an in-person Abbott test on Tuesday. Same price as Blue Horizons. 24-hour turnaround.

I just did my Abbott test again 😬 as the first time I got two drops out

Here are some top tips for doing it Top tips for doing a antibody finger prick test for 6ml of blood at home....

Go to the park with a stropy 6 yr old
Come home cook dinner, deal with teens mood swings, this will really help raise your blood pressure through the fucking roof 😬

Finally put 6 yr old to bed, again dealing with stropy teen

Have a glass of wine

Do finger prick test, but make sure you do it standing up in the bathroom , forget your glasses and try to pour blood (which will be pouring everywhere at this stage) into a tiny little vial on the floor.

Viola bloodbath and an over flowing vial!!!!

First time I did this test I got two drops of blood 😂😂😂
Disclaimer: no children were harmed in this test

Great tips @Truzza!!

I am really sorry though but I think they have suspended all home tests. You might want to check with your supplier.

And you might need another

@Egghead68

They are still testing ours it's through work 😬

🍷 is on the go 😂

Do you think it will come back as sorry your blood alcohol level was too high 🤔

Oh no! Can’t believe they’re suspending tests! I sent off mine yesterday from which was an Abbott test via London medical Laboratory. I hope they will process it.

Phew @Truzza! Glad you’re still on the wine after all that.

@FairlowWonder - it might be worth checking with them.

@FairlowWonder that's who I phoned this afternoon. They said they were still doing them. (Now I am wondering if it's someone operating out of his boxroom with a chemistry set )

Guys, I’ve just had this reply from Treated.com - it’s long but what should I do? Tempted to get my money back and wait.

Thanks for your email. You’re correct, the manufacturers have asked us to stop supplying these test kits direct to the public because the validation they undertook was based on the blood samples being collected from a vein using the traditional needle-and-syringe method. We discussed this with the laboratory who tell us that the method of taking the blood should not matter for this type of test because the sample is spun at high speed in a centrifuge and the serum is what is tested.

Having said all that, since the manufacturers have asked us not to supply any further test kits we have decided to avoid any further doubt for our patients and we are now only supplying this test kit to health care professionals or to people who can take the kit to a clinic to have their sample taken in the traditional way.

In my clinical opinion, your result is valid, there are testing kits which will be launched shortly which do use the finger prick method to collect the sample. You now have two options, we can send you another test kit with equipment for a health professional to take the sample and we can confirm your result or, if you prefer, we can arrange a refund. Please contact the Customer Care team on the email above to let them know what you’d like to do.

I have to say, their customer service has been good- always reply to my questions.

Good luck on Tuesday Egghead will be really interesting to see if you get a different result. If you're shielding I guess you are really hoping to have had it, in the hope that we do get some kind of immunity. But gosh, accuracy falling away after 14 days seems ridiculous! I really wonder when the Roche test will be privately available, or one the others due for release.

Egghead68 - I would also be really interested to see if the venous testing produces different results, good luck!

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/french-team-finds-mild-coronavirus-infection-does-lead-to-antibodies

From this study, it does look like most CV infections do produce antibodies. So if this is true, then either the Abbott test isn't as accurate as stated (I guess unlikely), fingerprick tests don't work well for testing antibodies, or that there was another illness in March that had very similar symptoms.

Yes quite curious to see your results @egghead68.

There was a US CDC paper that says that the tests are only 50% accurate given the small proportion of the population affected by Covid. I'll try to post the daily mail article that refers to this.

I have a negative on the venous sample and so quite convinced there was something else in March in London.

I sent my Treated sample off and it arrived with Doctors Laboratory yesterday morning, I phoned them and they tell me it will be processed later today / tomorrow. I will post the results.

I am fully prepared for my venous results to be negative too, even though Covid was diagnosed clinically in A&E. I’ll keep you posted.

I have a negative on the venous sample and so quite convinced there was something else in March in London

This is possible but it seems unlikely to me that there were two very similar but different outbreaks at the same time. I think a much more likely explanation is that not everyone who has mild-moderate Covid develops detectable amounts of IgG antibodies.

Oaksideboard thanks for posting the link. That looks interesting and I will try to get hold of the study. One problem though is that they are validating against people who were initially positive on the PCR test. However we know that the PCR test itself misses lots of cases (it is estimated around 30%). Without a reliable benchmark it may be hard to draw firm conclusions.