Hi @SpaceAngel
That’s so disappointing, not having any antibodies…yet, but as @Lyn99 says, there’s the 4th jab to have in 3 months, and it seems it is the later jabs which produce antibodies in people like us - that’s why they brought in the 3rd primary jab, as the first two didn’t seem to trigger a response. So you may develop some next time.
And as @geri147 says, the T cells play a significant part in our body’s response to covid, and so the fact you’re showing no signs of antibodies yet doesn’t mean your body couldn’t fight covid.
And knowing that you have antibodies isn’t actually that reassuring. I did a test via the cancer/covid research, and the result was that I do have antibodies after the 3rd jab - but they don’t tell you if it is just one lonely antibody, or 100 million, or even the quality of the antibodies - so mine could be next to useless, for all I know. I certainly don’t feel any freer or safer for knowing I have an unknown quantity of antibodies that may be of poor quality. I was surprised and happy initially - but that soon wears off when you realise you still can’t change your behaviour.
And it’s worth bearing in mind that research in Italy has shown that our genes play a big part in how we cope with covid. 10% of white British people (slightly more among South Asian Brits) have a gene that means they will more likely react badly to covid. So there’s a lot of genetic pot luck at play here, and actually somebody who hasn’t had a blood cancer could respond more catastrophically to covid than us - it just depends on genes.
But fortunately covid has become less dangerous, and the medicines so much better, so should we be unlucky enough to catch it, the chances of us becoming seriously ill are much, much reduced now.
I really hope this doesn’t prevent you seeing your son under the right conditions. It must be horrendous not seeing him for so long.
I have to admit, I play these points back to myself in my mind when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. It IS overwhelming at times. We’ve not only been through the horror of diagnosis, but these past 2 years of severely restricted living. People who are not ill have found it hard to cope, so we’re heroes really for quietly getting on with being imprisoned like we have been. But I’m sure there are better times just around the corner.
Best wishes to you.
