Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that COVID-19 is so frightening is because we don’t fully understand it nor do we have a vaccination for it yet. Luckily, medical professionals are working around the clock to try and fix this. While there is currently no vaccine, something that you may have read about recently is the COVID-19 Antibody Test. We are going to elaborate here on what the Antibody Test does and why it is important to get tested.
And to find out even more about the COVID-19 Antibody Test, watch the video below featuring our very own Dr. Tan Pham PharmD of Brightside Pharmacy as he elaborates on this topic: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbN0UzJM68/
What is the COVID-19 Antibody Test?
The purpose of the COVID-19 Antibody Test is to determine who has been infected by and built up an immunity to COVID-19. At the moment, we don’t know how much of an immunity will be built after one recovers from the disease. Professionals have been saying that patients can get COVID-19 a second time, but there isn’t enough evidence to fully understand this yet. Regardless, our bodies will build up some form of immunity after being infected.
Once infected, our bodies build up 2 forms of antibodies: IGM and IGG. IGM antibodies are created at the first sign of sickness for your body to learn the genetic makeup of the disease you are infected with. Then, the IGG antibodies are produced 2 to 3 weeks afterwards and stay in your body permanently. These IGG antibodies remember the genetic makeup of the virus and can recognize it in the future. So, if you get re-infected later, your body knows how to fight it already. The COVID-19 Antibody test can recognize these antibodies in your body.
Why is it Important to Get Tested?
While this may not be on the top of your priority list, it is important to get tested so you can know whether or not you have built up a slight or partial immunity to COVID-19. It’s also important for research purposes. Medical professionals are using this information to further understand the disease, so getting tested helps with this research and helps to keep the number of cases and COVID report information as accurate as possible.
