Antibody Testing*
Upon infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the patient’s immune system begins producing blood-circulating molecules known as antibodies. IgM is a class of antibodies that appear as early as three to five days after an infection. IgM is the body’s first line of defense against this foreign antigen. IgG memory antibodies begin to appears in the blood within two to four weeks after initial infection and are what should provide a level of lasting immunity.
Governments and academic laboratories have developed blood tests to help identify people who have contracted SARS-CoV-2, the Coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
While the full time and extent of immunity isn’t known yet, healthcare authorities are recommending widespread antibody tests.
Antibody testing is deemed critical for the purpose of identifying those with a level of immunity to the virus and those people then should have less risk to return to life and work sooner as we work to get back to normalcy.
Testing for antibodies is very important whether or not you have had symptoms of the Coronavirus. A positive test for the IgM or IgG memory antibodies will signal that someone has had COVID-19 even if they remained symptomatic.
Anti-bodies are very important to our health and future. Providers are now asking those with antibodies to donate blood. Doctors are using the plasma with antibodies to treat patients who are currently infected.
*When evaluating which tests to use, look for high levels of sensitivity and specificity to the SARS-CoV-2 IgG & IgM antibodies.
There are two types of tests to choose through Vitalleo Health
- Venous Blood Draw: Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2 LgG & IgM Antibodies
Blood is drawn and then sent to an outside CLIA Certified/CMS complex lab.
The specificity is 97.5%, and the sensitivity is 95.6%. The sensitivity of IgM test is 87.9% and specificity is 100% when compared to RT-PCR (Test for Covid-19 infection).
- Rapid Test Positive/Negative & IgG/IgM Cassette
Using a finger stick delivers clinical results between 2 and 10 minutes at the point-of-care.
The sensitivity of IgG test is 97.2% during the convalescence period, and specificity is 100%.
- The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided a Control Number. The test is being made available under compliance with Section IV.D. of the FDA’s Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency. Updated FDA guidance, issued on March 16, 2020, allows the distribution of this product for diagnostic use in laboratories or by healthcare workers at the point-of-care.
If you are a doctor’s office and interested in providing antibody testing to your community, please e-mail [email protected].
Additionally, we are supporting 100s of doctors in providing other critical forms of testing such as IL-6/IL-1 Beta, Vitamin D, and key organic acids relative to immunity.
Have fun saving the world
Dr. Ben
