An antibody test for at home should clarify whether you have already had a corona infection. Anyone can already buy the test – but there are uncertainties.
Was the scratching of the neck at the beginning of spring Corona back then? Or was you already sick with Covid-19 without any symptoms, without even realizing it? Many people have asked themselves these questions since the beginning of the corona pandemic. Now a new corona test should help. However, it does not check an acute infection, but rather whether a person already has antibodies against the virus.
The antibody test was developed by researchers from the pharmaceutical company Adversis and Leipzig University. And it's already finished: the new product "AProof" was presented on Monday, and since September 1st the test will be available in pharmacies. The price is currently 49 euros, which customers have to pay for themselves.
How does the corona antibody test work?
But how does the antibody test work? And can he even give you any information about whether you have had a corona infection – and maybe even immune to the virus?
All you need for the test is a drop of blood from a disinfected finger. This is placed on a test strip, which is sent back to the laboratory after drying. The result should then be available online within 24 to 48 hours. So the test does not work at home either – the analysis is still required from an external source.
The problem with immunity
According to the University of Leipzig, the antibody test promises high accuracy. In studies, it gave false positive results in only 0.6 percent of the test cases. However, there is particular uncertainty in the interpretation: In a current study by the RKI from Bad Feilnbach, almost 40 percent of the participants who tested positive for the coronavirus no Antibodies can be detected.
There are also no valid long-term data on the extent to which people are immune to the virus after having been infected. There have been isolated reports of cases in which people fell ill again.
At the same time, dwindling antibodies after an infection do not necessarily indicate a lack of immunity, as reported by the Spiegel. Other components, such as T and B cells, played a role in fighting a virus.
Basically, the antibody test for at home has its pitfalls, but can still help. Anyone who receives a positive result knows: they have already had a corona infection and are currently also antibodies. On the one hand, the test can provide information about the prevalence of the virus in the population, and on the other hand, it can be carried out quickly in care facilities, schools or hospitals due to its simple handling.
sources used: RKI, Der Spiegel, RND, RTL