Covid antibody test - ZOE app

[Whathefisgoingon]

I’ve just received an email offering me an antibody test.

It does say in the email that it can only pick up natural antibodies & not those from vaccination, but I just wanted to make sure that is the case as I am double jabbed!

It also says this -

“An antibody test can detect natural antibodies left behind after infection. It doesn’t matter whether you had symptoms a month ago or a year ago, the test can reveal if you had COVID-19 in the past. “

How can this be true? Surely antibodies wouldn’t show if I had covid 12 months ago!

I don't know either! I had an antibody test as part of the Imperial college trial & the email told me not to open it if I'm in a vaccine trial because it would give the game away

@Whathefisgoingon

It also says this -

“An antibody test can detect natural antibodies left behind after infection. It doesn’t matter whether you had symptoms a month ago or a year ago, the test can reveal if you had COVID-19 in the past. “

How can this be true? Surely antibodies wouldn’t show if I had covid 12 months ago!

If you have antibodies left in your body, it will pick them up regardless of how long ago you had covid. However, there is no guarantee you will still have antibodies if you had covid a year ago or even last month.

I've done it. Yes it just looks at antibodies from a previous Covid infection and not from your vaccinations.

@BlueSurfer it doesn’t read like that though. The wording suggests that the test will be able to detect if you’ve had covid at any point in the past, regardless of anything else.

@TheDogsMother thanks, good to know. I don’t want to find out I’ve no antibodies from the vaccine. Ignorance is bliss.

[quote Whathefisgoingon]@BlueSurfer it doesn’t read like that though. The wording suggests that the test will be able to detect if you’ve had covid at any point in the past, regardless of anything else.[/quote]
Not to me it doesn’t. It reads that it says if you have antibodies that it will detect them no matter how old they are.

The Zoe app test is for NATURAL antibodies so of you've had covid . I'm part of the ONS trial and their test just picked up antibodies which were from my double jabs.

Yes, and it's a study into how long antibodies are lasting in people.

And the Zoe app states it picks up antibodies if you've had covid in the last 6 months-although some people's antibodies last longer and still show up.

The Zoe study tests for antibodies to the N gene which can only be from infection as all of the vaccines target the S gene.

I've done an antibody test as part of the Imperial study which tested for antibodies from infection or vaccine. I was about 3 weeks past my 2nd jab when I did it and tested positive for long lasting antibodies.

About a month later I did the Zoe antibody test and tested negative for antibodies for that. As far as I know, I haven't had Covid. So that supports the statement that the Zoe test only looks at antibodies from infection (and therefore the antibodies the Imperial test detected for me came from being vaccinated).

I had Covid in March 2020 and still tested positive for antibodies a couple of weeks ago in the ZOE test. So infection acquired antibodies can last a lot longer than the 6 months that they suggest. I guess similarly, some people may have antibodies that last for a much shorter time.

@CornishYarg

I've done an antibody test as part of the Imperial study which tested for antibodies from infection or vaccine. I was about 3 weeks past my 2nd jab when I did it and tested positive for long lasting antibodies.

About a month later I did the Zoe antibody test and tested negative for antibodies for that. As far as I know, I haven't had Covid. So that supports the statement that the Zoe test only looks at antibodies from infection (and therefore the antibodies the Imperial test detected for me came from being vaccinated).

That's so interesting! When I had my antibody test it was prior to vaccination & I didn't have any antibodies so I know I've not had covid either

I want to be chosen for a Zoe test!

I want to be chosen for a Zoe test!

Sign up for the app. Once you've registered apply for an antibody test on the government site and they will ask you if you're part of a trial and it gives the Zoe as an option.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/antibody-testing-to-check-if-youve-had-coronavirus/

I got mine last week but it says not to post if temp is over 25 degrees so waiting til sunday now to do it (don't want to leave it in the postbox over the weekend). seems its only antibodies and as far as i know i haven't had it so be interesting to see

You are NOT meant to post it on a Saturday, any other day is ok.

I posted mine off last Sunday and got results this morning by text.

I did the Zoe antibody test (it's actually the nhs/gov one, you just tick the box to say you're doing it as part of the Zoe survey)

I had covid in October and it picked up the antibodies from this about 7.5 months after the event.another friend had a positive test for covid in summer 2020 and hers came back positive too - so after about 10 months.

The test did use to say 6 months, but as they've had more results back and tied it in with known test results they are able to extend that period. It changes with the research findings.

Dd did one too as we were curious as she's been in contact with covid a few times. At the time she'd had one vaccine. Hers came back negative.

Infact all the people I know who have done it - mostly colleagues: all those who have definitely tested positive came back positive, all those who have never tested negative (including one who were convinced they'd had it despite no +ve as had all the symptoms) came back negative for antibodies. Most colleagues had had one or two vaccines, that made no difference.

Iirr vaccine antibodies work in a different way. You can also get tests that look at vaccine antibodies, I'm in a list to be called to do one of those too at some point. I'm interested, especially as I have an autoimmune health condition and medication that can affect my immune system.

@Purplewithred

I want to be chosen for a Zoe test!

Just sign up to Zoe and then visit the gov website - Google apply for antibody test. Then click the 'Zoe research app' box when asked.

I do use the Zoe app, as does Dd. however many of my colleagues don't and they were still sent one, just by clicking the box.