Antibody testing thread 2

[Egghead68]

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

I think this might be the paper the professor on the video is discussing:

www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30610-3.pdf

Superdrug have refunded me for my test because they have pulled it. I had to request it, but they did it straight away

And to clarify I took the test, sent it back and had a negative result and they have still refunded it.

Tbat’s good! I thought about asking for a refund on mine because the result came about an hour before they pulled it, but decided there was no point.

Treated refunded me too, as I had a negative Abbott test result a week before they pulled it.
I had called them quoting the Pharmaceutical Journal report, and told them that I still thought I’d had it in Feb.
My husband had it...I caught it from him, and we think our daughter caught it from me.
I have never been so ill in my life. And hadn’t needed to visit my GP for over a decade previously. Then I had to see my GP twice in 5 days.
( Middle of Feb, so pre- testing time).
I haven’t posted on any of the Lungs threads, but believe me, I was reading every single one for months, having had all the quoted Covid symptoms, and most of the weirder ones too (like rib pain, and having to ditch underwired bras ) which no doctor was able to find a reason for.
It’s taken me 3 months to feel better. So taking the Abbott test was really to verify my own thoughts.
I hope we can have the Roche test soon....

Another person here who took the Abbott test via Blue Horizon but got a negative result.

Wouldn’t normally question such things, but my MIL died from CV19 - her immune system was already compromised due to cancer. As we were allowed to be with her in her last hours, we were obviously exposed at the time & I became very unwell five days later (& my husband a day or two after me) . I can quite honestly say that I’ve never been as unwell as that before, and the scary symptoms lasted for weeks and weeks. If not CV19, then what on earth was it...

I am really sorry about your MIL, @UncomfortableBadger.

It is interesting, about the T cell response. I know someone who had typical Covid symptoms and is still recovering, who has had a negative Abbott test.
How does the Roche test differ from the Abbott, does anyone know ? Surely they both test for the same antibodies ?

This is interesting https://www.pharmacymagazine.co.uk/609431-stop-selling-antibody-tests-for-home-use-companies-told?utmsource=CRM&utmmedium=Email&utmcontent=Article2&utmcampaign=PMenews&dm_i=4U5G,CGJG,3KYMS3,1ED0C,1

I’ve just received a negative result, using the Abbott test. It states in the email that the lack of antibodies shows I haven’t had Covid in the past 14 days. I was ill back in February so I suppose there’s a chance I had it but the antibodies have dropped too low for detection. I feel pretty stupid for wasting money on a test & spending 10 minutes stabbing myself to get the sample!

My result with Abbott fingerprick test was negative but I still think I had CV, I don’t think these tests seem very reliable, at least on our little sample in this thread. I wonder if there’s a way to get a refund from Treated but doubtful.

Treated will refund me - minus £5 for postage. I had to ask what my statutory rights were as they kept saying that the test was fine.

Sorry, I misread the email that came with my Abbott results this morning (was still half asleep when I got it!) The 14 days refer to there possibly not being antibodies present if you’ve taken the test too soon after being ill. I agree, the tests don’t seem that reliable - and I wonder whether many of us will ever know whether we had it or not.

Has anyone had a refund from Blue Horizon?

Just been for a clinic test. The doctor said she thinks around 80% covid cases produce IgG antibodies and 20% don’t but she pointed out that there are some contradictory results in the literature and we don’t know for sure at the moment.

The clinic blood draw was a million times easier than the home one and was the same price. I’d recommend going for a clinic-based one even if they reauthorise the home ones.

@findingschools4myboys where did you order the rapid cassette tests from? I know they aren’t as accurate but I would be interested in ordering some and testing from different places

@CherryStoneTree
So the first one was through a nutritionist who caught onto buying a whole load early on (end of March). But she sold out the same weekend I bought them.
The second we had done in clinic at harley street clinic. (I had booked that in before friends told us about the first one)
Then the third I got off a friend who bought an extra few from a dentist in London.
I can get details of where another one of my friends just bought hers from if you wish? Think they were £50 per test. Let me know

@Egghead68
That’s so funny as my friend who had symptoms and was skiing with me when I became unwell just had a blood drawn Abbott test that was negative.
She said she was told they think 80% of London have been infected but only 20% showing positive for antibodies. Just thought it was interesting our figures are reversed 😁

How interesting @findingschoolsformyboys. I know around 20% of London are IgG positive. I hadn’t heard that 80% have been infected - I thought that was the prediction had there been no lockdown. Could well be though, In which case we may have herd immunity, in the short term at least.

I'm still waiting for my replacement kit...

Just asked Blue Horizon for a refund. I will report back.

@WonderTweek can you cancel it and get a clinic blood draw instead?

I'm thinking of asking for refund too, if they're no longer allowed to offer the finger prick tests then I feel a bit duped into paying for one last week.

So I ordered the superdrug one just before bank holiday. did it and posted it on the sat and forgot it was bank holiday. on the weds i saw on the news about the govt telling labs to stop so rung superdrug. they said testing was still going forward but since i had rung before my test had arrived i could cancel for the full refund. I did so and booked to have it at my local clinic (for £20 less).

Next day i get an email from superdrug and found they had tested me and it came back negative. i still received the full refund and i had prepaid for the test at the clinic so figured id do it anyway as more reliable and didnt sit in a boiling hot post box for three days.

Had that today. Will update when i get the results in 24 hours....

@Egghead68 Haha, post just arrived with not one but two kits. I feel a bit bad for whinging now! I'll see how I get on with those, and if it doesn't work I think I'll just wait and see if the Roche test becomes available later on. I wouldn't mind a clinic otherwise but I'm not going anywhere public yet so can't get to one at the moment unfortunately. I hope you get a refund!

I've asked for refund and to be fair Treated.com are a very professional outfit that I've used for other things, so hoping that they think carefully before a blanket "no".

My kit arrived 2.5 weeks after ordering it. I've done it and posted it off. But where do we stand?
I'm trying to find somewhere that will do a blood draw but can't find anywhere.