IgG antibody tests
Qured’s Covid-19 antibody test package includes an at-home blood sample draw from a healthcare professional, or an appointment at our clinic
GP and Me’s Covid-19 antibody test can identify those who have shown an immune response to the virus, once they have recovered from suspected symptoms. Antibody tests require a venous blood sample collected by a healthcare professional, which is then analysed by a laboratory to detect the relevant IgG antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, also called an ELISA test.
We recommend taking the antibody test after 14 days from exposure to the virus or the onset of symptoms. The antibody test accurately detects a person’s IgG antibody response to Covid-19: if a person tests positive for the antibody, this means they have had Covid-19. In the early days of an infection when the body’s immune response is still building, antibodies may not be detected and some people may not develop IgG antibodies even after proven infection with Covid-19 and will therefore test negative.
The Covid-19 antibody test does not detect whether you currently have the Covid-19 coronavirus. If you take the test whilst you still have coronavirus symptoms, your result may not be reliable. If you are still symptomatic and wish to take a test to determine whether or not you have Covid-19, click here to read more and purchase our Covid-19 PCR RNA test.
Test accuracy
The lab conducting our antibody test reports a sensitivity (true positives) of at least 97.5%, and a specificity (true negatives) of 99.8%.
If your IgG test is returned with a positive result, which means you have had Covid-19 exposure sufficiently to make an antibody response to the virus. There is currently no scientific evidence confirming if the presence of antibodies correlates to immunity or how long the antibodies will last for.
If your IgG test is negative, this means you have not been exposed sufficiently to make an antibody response or there has not been sufficient time for the body to make an antibody response. There is also a possibility that your body made an antibody response which has not been sustained and is therefore not detectable when it was tested for. Some patients with other underlying health conditions specifically related to their immune system may also not be able to mount a detectable or sustainable immune response and therefore may test negative. Please note that some people may not develop IgG antibodies even after proven infection with Covid-19 and will therefore test negative.