Antibody test question

[Monykalyn]

I gave blood at OneBlood when I was in Orlando as they do free antibody testing with blood donation. Impressed with the setup too- only one doner in the donation rooms at a time, all masked including donors etc. I came back negative, but glad my blood can help anyway. Unfortunately here always seems to be a critical need for blood donors! Have no idea of the test as it just states “FDA APPROVED”.

I just heard about this, might be an option if you’re able to give blood, you could get the antibody test for free https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/covid-19-antibody-testing.html

Studies are still being done on the convalescent plasma.

Yes and we should get results on the first set of 20k patients soon- DHs oldest daughter is helping coordinate the study and results at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. She’s said it looks promising so far.
And there definitely was a nasty virus that mimicked covid symptoms late last winter/December/early January. I lost my sense of smell/taste completely for several weeks in December, prolonged cough that just wouldn’t go away, extreme fatigue etc, not flu. When I finally saw PCP she gave me steroids to “calm my overactive immune system” down. Viruses will cause some loss of taste/smell with congestion anyway, but when you blow your nose or breathe hard through nose you can up usually still pick up a trace. It made eating difficult as what’s the point if I can’t smell/taste it? Still didn’t lose more than a couple pounds though

 

[Live4travel]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...-test-data-pennsylvania-georgia-texas/611935/
I also posted this on another thread:
From CDC:
"A positive test result shows you may have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, or possibly from infection with a related virus from the same family of viruses (called coronavirus), such as one that causes the common cold."
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/serology-overview.html

Seems like the viral test is more accurate.

 

[Heather07438]

No doubt insurance companies will try to make as much money as they can. They are in a business and have investors to report to. But, as I mentioned, know that state regulators limit how high they can set premiums for the following year. Now, how high that bar is, is up to the states. Some states are more insurance friendly and some are more consumer friendly. Some states and organizations even have tried to take away the pre-existing condition protection, which was one of the cornerstones of the ACA.

If money is not tight, I would find ways to keep your son on an insurance plan. Even on one of the lower tier (high deductible) plans. Health insurance is one of the things in life that will pay over and over if ever an accident were to occur. It’s not like a decision of whether to buy extended warranty for an electronic or automobile. A lot of families (even some with insurance) go upside down financially due to one unexpected event.

It’s sad that a fifth of this country either have no insurance or are underinsured.

We did get him back on a plan after a 6 month gap. It's half the price with higher co-pays and much higher deductibles, which seems a better fit for us. At least he still has some coverage should something severe come along.

He just turned 18 and his NJ auto insurance is nuts. I broke down how many miles he drove with what we paid on his behalf and came close to $20/mile. He doesn't drive much but doubled our premiums It's a joke.

Maybe I'm just a bit disenchanted with insurance right now. We also paid $150 to insure his $4k school trip to the UK and looks like we're out 100% on everything. Honestly the best insurance we have is the $17/month family dental plan, lol. It gets the most mileage and brings costs into a reasonable realm.

 

[disneychrista]

it's the cost for an overnight on vacation to know we can join the world.

Except there are still no guarantees that you have protection from it and can't get it again. Having the antibodies is NOT a get out of jail free card.

 

[mefordis]

People.com has an article about a woman who had Covid in February, tested positive for antibodies, donated plasma, and now has Covid again. I'm still not sure anybody knows enough about this virus to speak with any authority on anything.

If this is the case how can we be close to a vaccine? I keep hearing end of year.

 

[Heather07438]

If this is the case how can we be close to a vaccine? I keep hearing end of year.

This is a concise run down of current standings:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
Explains some of the challenges:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2005630

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The American Red Cross is for a 'limited time' (which means whatever they want it to mean) will be doing antibody tests when you donate blood. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/covid-19-antibody-testing.html We ran across this because my husband is getting calls for platelet donations in the area from our Community Blood Center which is now at danger levels (as medical procedures are starting back up) for blood and I happen to notice that American Red Cross was discussing antibody tests.

TBH at this point I think the antibody tests are useful for public health officials in regards to spread and timeline of the virus's presence in a given area but should not at this time be used to determine if you're at risk or not at risk for COVID-19.

 

[SirDuff]

Except there are still no guarantees that you have protection from it and can't get it again. Having the antibodies is NOT a get out of jail free card.

We don't know that. There are two separate issues when thinking about immunity after you've had the disease. It is possible that antibodies don't convey immunity (but, generally, assumed that they do); the bigger one is whether everyone develops "enough" antibodies (I had chicken pox three times, but I think I had a total of maybe 20 poxes overall - I had really mild cases and didn't develop enough antibodies to give me immunity) and how long-lasting the antibodies are.

Also, the rate at which the virus mutates is not well understood yet. This is the sticking point with the "flu vaccine".

 

[disneychrista]

We don't know that.

Pretty much there being no guarentees is the definition of not knowing. There is still TOO MUCH unknown. It would be great if one who has had it can never get it again.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Way I see it, I am NOT going out to risk my life for nothing. If I had it and cleared it I would be way less fearful, not careless, still masks and such but I'd rejoin the world, maybe buy a pizza and walk into a store if I'm covered. Right now all the conflicting info has my head spinning so I sta

Except there are still no guarantees that you have protection from it and can't get it again. Having the antibodies is NOT a get out of jail free card.

Not looking to play Monopoly with my life, still would use masks but it might be nice to leave the house.

I have had these tests before for other things, they are used often and are useful.

 

[LuvOrlando]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...-test-data-pennsylvania-georgia-texas/611935/
I also posted this on another thread:
From CDC:
"A positive test result shows you may have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, or possibly from infection with a related virus from the same family of viruses (called coronavirus), such as one that causes the common cold."
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/serology-overview.html

Seems like the viral test is more accurate.

The ranking on specificity addresses your concerns precisely, it takes into account the ability of the test to differentiate between similar viruses.

 

[LuvOrlando]

We did get him back on a plan after a 6 month gap. It's half the price with higher co-pays and much higher deductibles, which seems a better fit for us. At least he still has some coverage should something severe come along.

He just turned 18 and his NJ auto insurance is nuts. I broke down how many miles he drove with what we paid on his behalf and came close to $20/mile. He doesn't drive much but doubled our premiums It's a joke.

Maybe I'm just a bit disenchanted with insurance right now. We also paid $150 to insure his $4k school trip to the UK and looks like we're out 100% on everything. Honestly the best insurance we have is the $17/month family dental plan, lol. It gets the most mileage and brings costs into a reasonable realm.

I have been working at a school district for a while now because of the benefits but looking in another state I discovered some states have truly awful benefits. Think I will keep COBRA until this mess is over no matter the cost because this is such an exposed liability. Wishing Glass Door would do a segment on benefits alone, THAT would pull people in the door of employers faster than anything else.

 

[LuvOrlando]

We don't know that. There are two separate issues when thinking about immunity after you've had the disease. It is possible that antibodies don't convey immunity (but, generally, assumed that they do); the bigger one is whether everyone develops "enough" antibodies (I had chicken pox three times, but I think I had a total of maybe 20 poxes overall - I had really mild cases and didn't develop enough antibodies to give me immunity) and how long-lasting the antibodies are.

Also, the rate at which the virus mutates is not well understood yet. This is the sticking point with the "flu vaccine".

I read about immunity from SARS in a paper written back in like 2007 & that said 2 years - I'd guess this is more like that than the Flu. We won't know for 2 years until people either have immunity that long or don't. Look up older stuff, it's so much more reasonable than the stuff written all over the place recently - it's like a tennis match.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I don't get why this is so hot button, very strange. One would think that people knowing they passed the illness uneventfully would allow them to reenter the world instead of staying inside, so they spend more and get jobs going - why is that bad exactly? Truly don't get the angst.

 

[SirDuff]

I read about immunity from SARS in a paper written back in like 2007 & that said 2 years - I'd guess this is more like that than the Flu. We won't know for 2 years until people either have immunity that long or don't. Look up older stuff, it's so much more reasonable than the stuff written all over the place recently - it's like a tennis match.

I'm an epidemiologist and was finishing my degree in Toronto during SARS - I have first-hand experience from then

And, yes, the stuff now is something of a tennis-match. Not nefariously (at least, not for most people), but this is still new and new data/information are coming in all the time. And, for some things (like the sustainability of antibodies) we just haven't had the time to track it long enough yet. SARS was a tennis match during the crisis as well.

 

[SirDuff]

I don't get why this is so hot button, very strange. One would think that people knowing they passed the illness uneventfully would allow them to reenter the world instead of staying inside, so they spend more and get jobs going - why is that bad exactly? Truly don't get the angst.

Not sure about others, but my worry (doesn't raise to "angst") is two-fold - one that the tests are just not reliable right now and wrong information is worse than no information and that some people interpret having antibody tests as meaning that things can fully open up with no worries about any distancing at all.

 

[Llama mama]

My work is testing every employee for free. I work for a large healthcare system. My husband and I are frontline workers. My husband has had COVID positive patients cough on him while he only had a standard mask on. Both of us tested negative for antibodies just last week.

 

[disneychrista]

I don't get why this is so hot button, very strange. One would think that people knowing they passed the illness uneventfully would allow them to reenter the world instead of staying inside, so they spend more and get jobs going - why is that bad exactly? Truly don't get the angst.

Me specifically. Knowing I had it would not change my behavior. Especially knowing that it may not mean anything. Having it once and clearing it with little or no symptoms once does not guarantee doing the same the next time.

 

[Heather07438]

I don't get why this is so hot button, very strange. One would think that people knowing they passed the illness uneventfully would allow them to reenter the world instead of staying inside, so they spend more and get jobs going - why is that bad exactly? Truly don't get the angst.

I think there are 2 major concerns. First, not all tests are equally reliable but might be perceived that way. Second, people will let test results change their spread reduction compliance. Both are dangerous. The combination compounds the damage. The expectation is too many people will fall into these categories.

eta- I left out the most important part. Like disneychrista said, knowing we had it doesn't really mean much at this point because so much is still uncertain. The risk is that people's decisions can be misguided based on what they think a positive test represents.

 

[Live4travel]

The ranking on specificity addresses your concerns precisely, it takes into account the ability of the test to differentiate between similar viruses.

FDA regarding serology (antibody tests): "Because the antibodies are part of the body's immune response to exposure and not the virus itself, such testing cannot be used for diagnosis of infection. Based on the underlying scientific principles of antibody tests, we do not expect that an antibody test can be shown to definitively diagnose or exclude COVID-19 infection."
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices...ical-devices/faqs-testing-sars-cov-2#serology