There are several tests to examine Corona patients, including the RT-PCR test and the rapid antigen test, as well as the Corona virus antibody test, and Corona antibody tests have been available for months, but there was a lot of confusion among people about the usefulness of taking the test and how Unlike other tests, we know the answer, according to The Times of India.
What is the Corona antibody test?
Antibody tests are used to determine whether you have been infected with the Coronavirus in the past, while RT-PCR tests and rapid antigen tests help determine whether you are currently infected with the virus.
An antibody test is also known as a serology test, and an antibody test is performed to search for antibodies. Our body produces these antibodies while fighting an infection. This is how we develop immunity to a specific bacterium or virus after being infected with it or after getting vaccinated.
Antibody tests help determine whether the immune system has responded to the infection.
What is an antibody?
When a foreign disease-causing virus enters our bodies, our immune system produces defense proteins to fight them called antibodies. These antibodies match perfectly with this organism and recognize the invader with the help of the proteins on its surface called antigens.
The antigens help the antibody target the intruder, either they kill it directly or lock it onto its antigens which are later neutralized by other immune cells.
Corona antibody tests help to know the presence of antibodies that were developed after infection with the virus.
Our body produces different types of antibodies when in contact with the virus. These are also known as immunoglobulins (Ig). The two main types are:
Immunoglobulin M (IgM): This is the first antibody produced by our internal system after coming into contact with any pathogens that cause pathogens.
Immunoglobulin G (IgG): IgM antibodies are later produced by the immune system and play a role in forming memory cells that remain in the body to fight the virus if the infection returns.
How does this test work?
The Corona antibody test checks for antibodies or protein in your blood after a previous encounter with the virus, and the antibodies are also found in saliva, but the saliva test is not that effective.
To perform the test, a lab technician takes a portion of your blood, which is tested to look for one or both types of coronavirus antibodies - IgM antibodies, which occur early in the infection and IgG antibodies, which appear later.
Most people develop IgG antibodies about 14 days after the first symptoms appear, and they usually remain in the blood for a long time after recovery.
When is the test performed?
The Corona antibody test is not used to diagnose an active infection, so taking the test at the start of symptoms will not be helpful for you.
Our immune system takes time to develop antibodies after coming into contact with the virus and only when they are present in large amounts in the blood can they be detected in the test.
It takes about 10-15 days for our immune system to develop detectable levels of IgG antibodies after exposure and IgM antibodies can be detected after four to five days.
Testing too early increases the chance of getting a false negative test, which means you could be infected with the infection even if the test doesn't confirm it.
IgG antibodies can be detected in the blood for several months after recovering from corona. They can be found in the blood after mild or severe infection, asymptomatic infection and vaccination.
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