Home Testing antibody kit. Sensitive info for some?

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I dont think I am too much of a wuss.
But I have ordered and received an antibody test kit, and I dont fancy doing it!

For those who dont know, it looks like I have to prick my finger multiple times, and squeeze enough blood into a vial. I am not even sure I would get enough blood! [If you dont get enough blood up to a certain level, they say dont send off the sample as it wont be enough blood, and they wont accept the sample].

The testing kit cost £39.

Are there other, nicer, simpler ways of doing it?

There may be another thread on mumsnet somewhere, but cant see any recent threads about this. Thanks.

Email them and say you shouldn't draw blood, they will give you a refund if you send it back. (I did this before, it doesn't work for some of us)

couldn't, not shouldn't

I did it and didn't hurt. Its just a tiny lancet, I've done more damage sewing. Put your finger in hot water for a few minutes first to maximise blood.

It’s the same kind of tiny pin prick finger lancet they use if you ever need to have a blood sugar checked in hospital or the doctors surgery.

You need to run your hands under warm water for a few minutes before hand, and then you have to just keep squeezing the finger hard to get the blood to keep flowing.

It will be fine!

It's the test not the kit that forms most of the cost. If you couldn't get enough blood they should be able to send you a new tube and lancets.

If it came with pink lancets - ask if they can send you blue high flow lancets. They do hurt a little more but get the blood flowing much more easily (bigger blade).

can you get someone to do it for you? You can just sit there and watch something nice on tv

It doesn't hurt at all, can just be a bit fiddly getting enough blood particularly if you've got low BP. I had to start doing squats half way through.

But to answer your q, yes all antibody tests need a blood sample! Alternative would to book a proper test where a phlebotomist would take a sample properly.

I did these for six months. They don’t hurt, I got H to do it for me. Run around and soak hand in hot water first.

There's a knack to doing finger prick tests - I've done so many I've lost count! I recently did the Covid antibody test you mention.

Firstly, you need to be very well hydrated! Make sure you drink lots of water before the test.
Do the test on an empty stomach, the blood's less sticky.
Do a bit of arm waving and jogging on the spot to speed up your heart rate and get warmer prior to testing.
Run your hands under hot water to warm them up.
Prick slightly to the side of your ring or middle finger, near the tip. You shouldn't really need to do more than one prick it it goes well.
Let your arm hang down as much as possible to maximise blood flow, also stand up, don't sit.
Take your time, it's not a race!

Hope that helps! :)

Thanks for all the replies.

Even reading them, and I am not keen!

I can get someone to help. I dont think I would want to do this by myself.

I have never had or wanted or needed to get blood out, without being somewhere medical.

I do get low BP as it happens. Didnt realise that would make things more difficult.

If it was just a tiny bit of blood needed it might not have been so bad.

The lancets are blue - dont like the sound of bigger blade.
Perhaps I am a wuss after all!

Am thinking I will sit looking at the kit for a few days, and see how much courage I can pluck up.
Else a phlebotomist sounds like a good idea. Thanks all.

This might sound like an odd question, but would a blood sample from elsewhere do? There is no way I would be putting any sot of lancelet in my fingertip... but I will find it very easy to do the same from my forearm.

Why are you doing it then? Just.. don’t?

My husband did think he could maybe do it from a vein in my arm??
I am not in the least medical. I wasnt even sure whether when he said it, whether he was joking or not!
The leaftlet does say fingertip, but I guess it doesnt matter where it comes from?

No don't do your arm. If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself Superdrug were offering appointments where they take the blood for you.

Jesus Christ, don’t try to get a vein in your arm with a finger prick lancet. You won’t get the blood and you’ll end up with a haematoma under the skin.

It’s just from the tip of your finger, it’s a tiny needle, you’ll never even see the needle.

Why do you need an antibody test? What’s are you hoping it will achieve?

No no no - please do not try a vein in your arm!!! It won't work and could cause all sorts of problems.

Blue lancets make it easy. Should be fine with just one go - no need to prick your finger multiple times.

Here's a video of what this sort of fingerprick test normally involves...

vimeo.com/323415383

My advice would be - unlike the guy in this video - stand up when doing the test (unless you think you might be a fainter!). With your arm dangling - gravity helps the blood flow into your finger.

I've been doing these monthly for a research project. It's fine (honest).

For the making the prick bit, I find it helpful to rest my hand on the kitchen work surface, otherwise there's the instinct to flinch away. The lancet device makes a loud 'click' when you press it, and immediately you'll feel a pricking sensation. It is, as has been said, about on a par with pricking yourself with a needle whilst sewing. Much MUCH less sore than cutting yourself chopping an onion.

If you do it on the side of the tip of your finger it's more comfy than doing it on the pad.

You're not going to be able to get blood from a vein without the right equipment and a bit of know-how. If you try and do that with unsterile equipment you risk giving yourself a nasty infection.

I've never had an issue with getting enough blood out. It'll flow best if your hand is below the level of your heart. So stand up and hold your hand down by your waist to fill the bottle. The tips others have given about being hydrated and putting your hand in hot water are all correct, but I've never found it an issue - it's a tiny bottle, maybe six drops at most?

The trickiest bit is juggling putting the lid on the bottle whilst trying to put a plaster on your finger. Having everything laid out in front of you really helps with this.

Don't stick a lancet in a vein!! If you really wanted to you could ask him to use a toe.

Honestly if you get your DH you won't feel a thing apart from a slight prick. Even with low BP he'll still be able to massage the fingertip to get enough of a sample. The trick is to use the lancet on second finger if it stops bleeding.

I do these monthly for a research project. Just did one yesterday, if you watch the NHS video first and follow the tips it's easy. First one I didn’t do the warm up properly and ended up having to prick 2 fingers. This time I did the arm waving and soaked my hand in hot water and it dripped out and filled the tube nicely. DH is on blood thinners and had the same problem first time. No problems stopping the bleeding, tiny plaster did the trick.
I had breast cancer a couple of years ago so after that have no squeemishness left in me.

Sounds like a vein in the arm is a really bad idea. Thanks for the warnings.

I like the Superdrug idea.

I am wanting the test because I have written on MN previously about having long covid with blood problems. So am hesitating for now, about having the covid jab, when possible blood clots keeping coming up on the news in different countries.

But on the other hand, I am happy with being out and about, obviously within the law. And want to try and reassure people I come into social distance contact with, that though this summer I havent had the vaccination, hopefully I do have some antibodies. Hence the idea to have the test.

I'm also doing these monthly for a research project. I'ma bit of a wuss, but it's fine. My only problem is wasting some of those precious drops of blood by missing the tiny test tube! For some reason they advise you to prick the bit of your finger that you can't see when you hover your finger over the tube!

I agree with the pp who said it's best to set everything out in an organised way, especially if you're a bit anxious about getting it right. The finger prick is the least complicated bit! And you should only have to do it once. They give you three lancets just in case.

@saraclara Is it Virus watch or the Oxford one?
Just to add if you need to prick twice use a fresh lancet and a different finger.

[quote Phym]@saraclara Is it Virus watch or the Oxford one?
Just to add if you need to prick twice use a fresh lancet and a different finger.[/quote]
Virus Watch in my case.

Me too. A friend does the Oxford one and gets paid!