Got my COVID-19 antibody test results last night

[T_R_Oglodyte]

So if you tested negative, did they tell you what they thought it was? Just another version of the flu?

What they said was "Not COVID-19". So presumably just a run of the mill respiratory infection. Which is what I would have presumed had there not been an emerging novel corona virus pandemic.

 

[jackio]

Mom lives in Brooklyn NY, one of the hardest hit areas of NY. Today she went out for a walk with her mask on. She told me many people and children were out and not wearing masks with no regard to who was near them. NYC has a mandatory requirement if you are near others you have to wear a mask. Seems in the worst hit place in the US people already have moved on not worrying and doing what they want.

When I go out for a walk, I don't wear a mask. I stay 6 feet away from people. In NY it is only mandatory to wear masks when social distancing is not possible. I am in Suffolk, also very hard hit. What I am seeing is that people are visiting with relatives, thinking that if they are family, they are okay. I am one of 6 children. 3 of us are staying away from my 82 year old mother - dropping off groceries, etc. The other 3 are bringing her pizza and staying for lunch! I can't get it through their heads that this is not okay. Her sister comes for lunch once a week, her friends come over. This makes me crazy, and although she is very healthy, I worry every day about her health.

 

[TravelTime]

When I go out for a walk, I don't wear a mask. I stay 6 feet away from people. In NY it is only mandatory to wear masks when social distancing is not possible. I am in Suffolk, also very hard hit. What I am seeing is that people are visiting with relatives, thinking that if they are family, they are okay. I am one of 6 children. 3 of us are staying away from my 82 year old mother - dropping off groceries, etc. The other 3 are bringing her pizza and staying for lunch! I can't get it through their heads that this is not okay. Her sister comes for lunch once a week, her friends come over. This makes me crazy, and although she is very healthy, I worry every day about her health.

I think we all need to make choices for ourselves. Hopefully, your mom has lived a good life for 82 years. It is her choice as to whether she would rather live the next couple of years alone in isolation or whether she would prefer to have family visit. I can respect either choice.

In my family, my father (high risk due to age and diabetes) and my stepmother are still going between my 88 year old aunt’s house and my younger sister’s house ( who lives with her husband and 3 kids). I respect that they would rather take a chance than be totally isolated. When I call my 88 year old aunt for our weekly Saturday afternoon chat, she complains about how lonely she is and that she will be talking some drives around the area to at least see people. I suspect she might be going out without telling us. I know my 88 year old aunt would risk seeing me rather than never seeing me again. I am not planning to visit due to Covid but I know what her choice would be if it were possible.

 

[mdurette]

I can see that. I'm getting to the point of just wanting it to be over with.

Dave

I played this "what-if" game with my husband recently:
If you knew you could be tremendously sick for 2 weeks.
But you wouldn't die and wouldn't catch it again (both of which are not possible)
Would you go lick shopping cart handle just to get it over with.

I'm not understanding the replies with "good news, negative" I'm thinking I would prefer the positive for this test......

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

.....In my family, my father (high risk due to age and diabetes) and my stepmother are still going between my 88 year old aunt’s house and my younger sister’s house ( who lives with her husband and 3 kids)................ I know my 88 year old aunt would risk seeing me rather than never seeing me again. I am not planning to visit due to Covid but I know what her choice would be if it were possible.

[/QUOTE] .......I am in Suffolk, also very hard hit. What I am seeing is that people are visiting with relatives, thinking that if they are family, they are okay. I am one of 6 children. 3 of us are staying........ This makes me crazy, and although she is very healthy, I worry every day about her health.
[/QUOTE]

*********

Hi Jackio & TravelTime and other readers,
The province of New Brunswick has introduced a concept called Bubble - Self Isolation .

You and those in your household unit add 1 other household unit that is also fully following
isolation protocols . The premier of NB. also explained “ chain” are not a proper use of this plan .

Obviously the situation that Jackio describes would be classified as a chain .

TravelTime -perhaps this Bubble concept could be used to assist your aunt .

( sorry about the messed up double quote)

 

[presley]

If we ever get a free or low cost antibody test here in the San Diego area, I will take the test. I had several weeks of getting short of breath earlier this year - before Covid was a big deal. That's the only symptom I had. I had no trouble doing an 8 mile hike one weekend (all steep up and downs) and then 3 weeks later, I couldn't do a much easier hike. My daughter said I was wheezing and let me use her inhaler, which didn't make any difference. We had to discontinue the hike. A few days after that, I was doing an even easier hike and was out of breath at the top of a small hill. I couldn't do any inclines for about 6 weeks. I have allergies, so I thought maybe it was something in the environment. It was really odd. I've never experienced anything like that before and it went away as mysteriously as it came on.

 

[Ken555]

.......I am in Suffolk, also very hard hit. What I am seeing is that people are visiting with relatives, thinking that if they are family, they are okay. I am one of 6 children. 3 of us are staying........ This makes me crazy, and although she is very healthy, I worry every day about her health.

*********

Hi Jackio & TravelTime and other readers,
The province of New Brunswick has introduced a concept called Bubble - Self Isolation .

You and those in your household unit add 1 other household unit that is also fully following
isolation protocols . The premier of NB. also explained “ chain” are not a proper use of this plan .

Obviously the situation that Jackio describes would be classified as a chain .

TravelTime -perhaps this Bubble concept could be used to assist your aunt .

( sorry about the messed up double quote)

I know people who started this in March, including parts of my family. We trust a limited number of known individuals, and those are the people we can meet (though retain social distancing). It’s all about limiting risk. This is the process I suggested to friends of mine with young children, to have a similar arrangement with one other family with children, etc. The larger your bubble grows, the more risk you have, etc etc.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[geoand]

DW & I tested negative on antibodies test. DD also tested negative. Plan is for DD to move in with us. She has isolated herself since mid February. She needs human contact & that will be us

 

[davidvel]

If we ever get a free or low cost antibody test here in the San Diego area, I will take the test. I had several weeks of getting short of breath earlier this year - before Covid was a big deal. That's the only symptom I had. I had no trouble doing an 8 mile hike one weekend (all steep up and downs) and then 3 weeks later, I couldn't do a much easier hike. My daughter said I was wheezing and let me use her inhaler, which didn't make any difference. We had to discontinue the hike. A few days after that, I was doing an even easier hike and was out of breath at the top of a small hill. I couldn't do any inclines for about 6 weeks. I have allergies, so I thought maybe it was something in the environment. It was really odd. I've never experienced anything like that before and it went away as mysteriously as it came on.

Not free or low cost (although your insurance may reimburse), but Quest Diagnostics has them for $130.

 

[pittle]

Sonora Quest did mine on Monday afternoon because it was required in order to have cataract surgery on my 2nd eye on May 12th. My insurance paid for it because it was requested by the doctor and I have a great plan. I finally got my results today - Negative. That is what I expected since I have not been sick with a fever, etc. for years.

 

[TravelTime]

Hi Jackio & TravelTime and other readers,
The province of New Brunswick has introduced a concept called Bubble - Self Isolation .

You and those in your household unit add 1 other household unit that is also fully following
isolation protocols . The premier of NB. also explained “ chain” are not a proper use of this plan .

Obviously the situation that Jackio describes would be classified as a chain .

TravelTime -perhaps this Bubble concept could be used to assist your aunt .

( sorry about the messed up double quote)

I think they are informally using the bubble concept. The only people they visit are each other. My father has two bubbles: Bubble #1: my father, stepmother, sister, BIL, 3 nieces and nephews. Bubble #2: my father, stepmother and my great-aunt. Today I heard my sister, BIL and nieces and nephews drove from Miami to Naples to surprise my father and stepmother for Mother’s Day. I suspect that they are putting each other at risk because I think my father and BIL may still go grocery shopping, although I have heard they are mostly using grocery delivery now. My great-aunt left home this week to make a donation to her church. They are sheltering in place the majority of the time but it is not 100%. And as we know from the latest NY study, 66% of hospitalized covid patients were admitted from home and were “mostly” sheltering in place. My father does not visit my two other brothers and their families though because he has deemed them high risk. My brother’s wife is a nurse. My other brother still goes out too much. My father feels really bad that he has chosen my sister’s family for his bubble but not my brothers and their kids.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Millennials call this quaranteaming.

Our college DD does this with roommates and a small set of friends who SIP and agree not to socialize in person outside the team. Zoom okay for other contacts.

We have been SIP since early March and we are craving travel and social contact. Our court held an SIP cocktail party last night where each family sat 6 feet apart on our court. BYOB, lawn chair, and appetizers. It was fun. We now plan to do every weekend since no one is going anywhere. This is another silver lining to SIP because we are getting to know our neighbors better. Usually too busy and just wave.

 

[Panina]

Millennials call this quaranteaming.

Our college DD does this with roommates and a small set of friends who SIP and agree not to socialize in person outside the team. Zoom okay for other contacts.

We have been SIP since early March and we are craving travel and social contact. Our court held an SIP cocktail party last night where each family sat 6 feet apart on our court. BYOB, lawn chair, and appetizers. It was fun. We now plan to do every weekend since no one is going anywhere. This is another silver lining to SIP because we are getting to know our neighbors better. Usually too busy and just wave.

That is nice the SIP party with the distance. I am noticing my neighbor each night hanging out with a different neighbor in their back yard, sitting close and drinking. Plus the Cinco de Mayo block party where everyone was suppose to wear a mask. I didn’t go but looked out and nobody was wearing one and also close to each other. I just keep hoping no one is asymptomatic.

 

[CO skier]

I was told that the test is extremely sensitive, and because of the sensitivity is far more likely to produce a false positive than a false negative. It's also a simple Yes/No, so it gives no indication of the amount of antibody present, or when the infection might have occurred.

Part of the impetus was that back in March, about the time Washington issued SIP requirements, and the pandemic was starting to take off in Washington, I had a mild respiratory infection. We're also not far from the epicenter of the initially identified infection cluster in Snohomish County, and had transited through Everett airport (in Snohomish County) about two weeks earlier (aligning with the virus incubation period). I was in regular communication with my health providers, and triage determined that I wasn't sick enough to warrant a call-in, but I was requested to quarantine myself. After several days of mild respiratory distress, my temperature started rising about late one afternoon. The next morning it was up some more, and by noon time I was noticeably feverish - some body ache, shivering, loss of energy, no appetite, mild nausea. My temp was now at 100 °F. Triage said to keep monitoring and if I hit 101 °F to let them know. By 6 pm I was feeling better, and by 10 pm was completely back to normal. Since then, everything was fine, but I thought, and my physician concurred, that given my history I was a good candidate to have been tested.

For me, this is the most valuable TUG post on Covid-19. I had similar symptoms last November while traveling in California -- fast onset of a high fever with chills, debilitaing fatigue, but no sore throat or body aches. 60 hours after the onset of symptoms, I felt entirely fine. The rapid "return to normal" was weird.

The symptoms paralled Covid-19 symptoms, I thought maybe I was an early victim of Covid-19. Based on your anti-body test results, I must conclude my illness was NOT due to Covid-19.

Thanks for posting your symptoms and testing results.

 

[Sea Six]

I was diagnosed because my symptoms hit me in the middle of the night. Around 4M I would wake up with cold sweats, shivering, my T-shirt totally soaked with sweat, and a high fever, gasping for breath. My pulse was HIGH, as were my BP and glucose. Everything was screwed up. totally unbelievable.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

For me, this is the most valuable TUG post on Covid-19. I had similar symptoms last November while traveling in California -- fast onset of a high fever with chills, debilitaing fatigue, but no sore throat or body aches. 60 hours after the onset of symptoms, I felt entirely fine. The rapid "return to normal" was weird.

The symptoms paralled Covid-19 symptoms, I thought maybe I was an early victim of Covid-19. Based on your anti-body test results, I must conclude my illness was NOT due to Covid-19.

Thanks for posting your symptoms and testing results.

An interesting commentary. In my reading I am particularly piqued with the commentary on from The Atlantic and from Quillette.

The Atlantic Daily: You Probably Didn’t Have the Coronavirus in January

Let’s quickly recap four things we learned about COVID-19 this week.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[jackio]

I was very sick with an unusual respiratory illness back in December. My PMD thought the time period was too early for Covid, but now I am reading that may not be the case, especially in NY. I will go get the antibody test next week.
We are now up to just short of 40,000 confirmed cases in my county.

My antibody test was negative. I'm disappointed.

 

[Luanne]

My antibody test was negative. I'm disappointed.

So far everyone I know who thought they may have had COVID 19 and have had the antibody test have come out negative.

 

[davidvel]

Received my results today and "we're all in this together." Negative.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I tried doing some research on the accuracy of the Covid antibody test. I looked at about 1/2 dozen articles and some had no numbers in them and I saw a couple that were indicating that the tests are "sensitive" and tend to show more false positives than false negatives (probably good). I found that surprising. But the numbers I eventually found were in the range of 2 to 5% false positive. I'm not sure if that is typical or accurate. But when only about 0.25 % of the population has been infected (to date) and there might be a 5% false positive and millions getting tested, that makes me wonder about the real "numbers".

Does anyone have any solid references on the accuracy of the Covid tests?

 

[davidvel]

I tried doing some research on the accuracy of the Covid antibody test. I looked at about 1/2 dozen articles and some had no numbers in them and I saw a couple that were indicating that the tests are "sensitive" and tend to show more false positives than false negatives (probably good). I found that surprising. But the numbers I eventually found were in the range of 2 to 5% false positive. I'm not sure if that is typical or accurate. But when only about 0.25 % of the population has been infected (to date) and there might be a 5% false positive and millions getting tested, that makes me wonder about the real "numbers".

Does anyone have any solid references on the accuracy of the Covid tests?

There are a number of studies out there, but generally most of the biggest labs out there that are now producing and doing tests have really high Sensitivity rates (99-100%). These are Abbott, etc. Sensitivity means if the test says you are negative, you didn't have covid.

But, they are not as good on the other side. If it says you had it, this is accurate only from 85-99%.

 

[MULTIZ321]

I tried doing some research on the accuracy of the Covid antibody test. I looked at about 1/2 dozen articles and some had no numbers in them and I saw a couple that were indicating that the tests are "sensitive" and tend to show more false positives than false negatives (probably good). I found that surprising. But the numbers I eventually found were in the range of 2 to 5% false positive. I'm not sure if that is typical or accurate. But when only about 0.25 % of the population has been infected (to date) and there might be a 5% false positive and millions getting tested, that makes me wonder about the real "numbers".

Does anyone have any solid references on the accuracy of the Covid tests?

Hi BJRSAnDiego.

Here iz a good Sientific Amemerican article.

What COVID-19 Antibody Tests Can and
Cannot Tell Us - Scientific American.

What COVID-19 Antibody Tests Can and Cannot Tell Us

Assays that detect prior novel coronavirus infections could reveal the extent of outbreaks. But they may give individuals false security

www.scientificamerican.com

Richard

 

[Bunk]

I also wanted to be sure I had a good understanding of where the test stood in terms of false positives and false negatives.

You might find this article about false positives interesting:

Here’s an example. If you took an antibody test that was 90 percent accurate, and it determined that you had coronavirus antibodies, how confident should you be that you actually have those antibodies?

Most people say about 90 percent <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532046410000195>, with the average answer being above 50 percent. This makes sense. After all, 90 percent accuracy is pretty high.

But the predictive value of an antibody test with 90 percent accuracy is 32 percent if the base rate of infection in the population is 5 percent. Put another way, there is an almost 70 percent probability in that case that the test will falsely indicate a person has antibodies.

The reason for this is a simple matter of statistics. The lower prevalence there is of a trait in a studied population — here, coronavirus infection — the more likely that a test will return a false positive. While a more accurate test will help, it can’t change the statistical reality when the base rate of infection is very low.

If this shocks you, you’re not alone. The base rate fallacy is not only common, it’s also almost universal, even among those that should know better. Doctors themselves make these errors. In fact, one of the most referenced studies <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532046410000195> demonstrating the base rate fallacy took place among students at Harvard Medical School.

Opinion | Just Because You Test Positive for Antibodies Doesn’t Mean You Have Them (Published 2020)

In a population whose infection rate is 5 percent, a test that is 90 percent accurate could deliver a false positive nearly 70 percent of the time.

nyti.ms

 

[Luanne]

I haven't read any of the scientific articles here, but I'm just wondering. Just because you have COVID-19 does that mean you'll develop the antibodies?

 

[MULTIZ321]

I haven't read any of the scientific articles here, but I'm just wondering. Just because you have COVID-19 does that mean you'll develop the antibodies?

Hi Luanne,

How long does it take to develop antibodies after a
coronavirus infection?

It typically takes one to two weeks after someone
becomes sick with COVID-19 for their body to make
antibodies; some people may take longer to develop antibodies.


Richard