@CaroleCW none of these tests give the ultimate answer as stated, therefore what are people paying more for if ordering from different companies?
1 Like
@anon06 Thereās very little difference between them I think , most get the results back within 24 to 48 hours of receipt of the sample. Some seem better than others at dealing with issues if the sample size isnāt enough etc (TrustPilot reviews may help weed out good from bad providers). I canāt recommend one over another
3 Likes
ive only had covid once,
**# Coronavirus Antibody Blood Test **
Is it for you?
Do you want to know if coronavirus (covid-19) antibodies are present in your blood? With our CE-marked sample collection kit, you can monitor covid-19 antibodies in your blood from the comfort of your home. This test is helpful to monitor your antibodies if you have had covid-19 or the covid-19 vaccination or if youād like to see if you have had a previous covid-19 infection.
Please be aware it is not yet known what level of antibodies gives you immunity to coronavirus or to what extent the previous infection provides immunity from covid-19 in the future.
*This was on medicare checks,the system wont allow me to post links here there is no reference to S test but this paragraph is interesting "A doctorās comments are included in this test and your results with comments will usually be ready in the timeframe stated above. This is measured from the time your sample is received at the lab and is an estimate, not a guarantee. If you do not require comments from a doctor then you can opt out. In selecting this option, you agree that you have a qualified clinician who can interpret your results." Ā£69 though
@CaroleCW I looked the test up you recommended, the table in the link appears different to the one you sent Covid-19 Antibody and Vaccine Immunity Test (monitormyhealth.org.uk)
Can you expain?
This is a double test - the antibody test (the N test - isnāt that the one your GP already did?) and the vaccine immunity test (the S test). You can purchase each of them separately or just the Vaccine immunity test alone if that is all you want , look further down the list of tests they offer to find the individual tests which are cheaper. Just to reiterate I am not recommending this company over any other, it just happens to be the one I used.
1 Like
I realise that, although I did check links for both and tables were similar on each link.
Iāll probably get the dual as a double check on the one Iāve had, because I donāt trust anything via GP
Eg Covid-19 Vaccine Immunity Test
@CaroleCW
1 Like
@CaroleCW Thank you for you help once again, but Ive just recieved this reply from medicare, can you explain, I thought you were refering to them with regard to the table you posted?
Also can you explain what the table in the link means
Reply from Medi Care : *Where did you get the table that you are comparing ours to. *
Different Laboratories have different types of testing and reporting so are not comparable.
My table was from Monitor My Health
Hi @anon06 itās totally understandable that youāre looking for answers around this, but the best people to speak to will be your healthcare team. I understand that youāre finding communications with your GP difficult which sounds frustrating but weād encourage you to go back to them for advice around this, or talk it through with another member of your healthcare team.
Do give our support line a call if you want to talk things through or if it might be useful to chat through the sorts of questions you could pose to your team.
3 Likes
Thanks @Alice_BloodCancerUK I think Ive more or less worked things out now, regarding understanding tables and will get a full blood count as added insurance due to the 85 - 99% accuracy of antibody tests. I am waiting for actual instructions how to carry out the test. My regards to @LauranBloodCancerUK @TanyaBloodCancerUK & all at @BloodCancerUK
In a recent call to my GP, on the subject of if I was given the right test or not she said she would write to Microbiology and repeatedly told me (parrot fashion) that she had done her best? Look back at previous chats in this thread ,& I would beg to differ.
My other medical team may not be able to help me. I will order the dual test kit, one Ive already had, but this one will act as a double check. My next quest is a T Cell Test, then Ill go yonder with my chaperone perhaps holding a camera! Thanks for your reply
What % of white cells are made from antibodies?
Hi @anon06 I donāt know if anyone can help you or if there is even an answer to your question, but I will copy this to the Blood Cancer UK nurse advisors for you @BloodCancerUK_Nurses
1 Like
Thanks if it was possible to know this, it would be of advantage. I know White Cells fight infection & I am going to consider white cell count and neutrophils when making judgements as well as antibody results.
I only had a yes or no answer for covid antibody testing as well. If you look up covid antibody testing on the Govt uk website, they basically say that the numbers are meaningless as there is no identifiable level of antibody that will either protect or not protect you, so someone with low levels might still be protected and someone with high levels may still get it. The only differentiation they can make is the N test or the S test - the N test tells whether you have had covid, whereas the S test tells you whether you have got antibodies either from covid or from vaccination. So, I suspect that your doctor did the right things and the test canāt actually tell you anything more. There is a lot more info on the govt uk website about antibody testing, but some of it will be a lot more technical.
1 Like
The words ādoing the right thingā and my doctor dont go in the same sentence. I made it crystal clear what I wanted in a letter initially, instead of telling me this was not possible, my time has been wasted by waiting for a result that was NOT what I wanted. Nhs time was also wasted a nurse was booked to visit me at home.
I could of made enquiries about private tests.
My Gp says she has done her best, I would hate to know what her worst is? If her best means wasting peoples time, if she would have said "Not Possible " from day one I would have accepted this, unless she thought she could get blood from a Stone?
An antibody S test combined with a full blood cpunt as back up.up would give me peace of mind
Sorry Iām a bit late to the discussion. I can only add my experience. I had a donor stem cell transplant (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) in Feb 2020, complicated by chronic skin Graft-versus-host-disease which lasted until 18 months ago. The Graft-versus-host-disease was treated with ruxolitinib so not surprisingly I was immunosuppressed & had no response to my first five Covid vaccinations. I know that because I was in the Octave, and then the Octave Duo trials and had my antibodies measured as part of the trial.
After my 6th vaccination (6 months off ruxo) I still had no antibody response, but after my autumn booster (last October) I had a small response (about 2000) and Iāve just had the response to my spring booster measured and itās good - 15,000. (Iāve rounded the numbers, canāt remember the precise amounts).
I had my antibody responses measured in the NHS, requested by my haematology consultant. She did say that it was a request that only certain consultants were allowed to do, so perhaps itās only alloHSCT patients that have had them. Iām sure itās worth asking your consultant though - itās definitely not something the GP can request.
1 Like
I paid privately for an anti body test over a year ago - and got numbers! Think it cost me Ā£120 ā¦ā¦
@diana @patmroberts Thanks for your contributions I will probably get a private one & a full blood count as well for extra assurance
SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses and clinical outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-suppressive disease
OCTAVE study
SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses and clinical outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-suppressive disease | Nature Medicine)%2C%20and%20that%2C