Serological
test

Do you want to know whether you have antibodies against COVID-19?

At the NUTRIZIONE PREVENZIONE medical center we can identify both vaccine-induced antibodies and virus-induced antibodies.


The NUTRIZIONE PREVENZIONE medical center has developed its own solution for detecting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and measuring them.

The most relevant antibodies are IgM and IgG.

  • IgM appear 4–6 days after infection and disappear after a few weeks.
  • IgG appear from day 10–12 after infection and persist for several months.

ONLY IgG are therefore indicative of long-term immunity.

Questions

The Ministry of Health provides that it is possible to consider administering a single vaccine dose to people with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, provided vaccination is carried out at least 3 months after documented infection and preferably within 6 months of it. The serological test can help us understand whether we have been ill in the recent past.

The vaccine passport is also issued to those who have recovered from COVID-19. The serological test can help us understand whether we have been ill in the recent past.

It also appears that the serological test will be a useful tool for renewing the vaccine passport for those who are not vaccinated.

They may be people who have had:

  • transplants
  • leukemias
  • lymphomas

Or people:

  • with autoimmune diseases
  • on immunosuppressive treatment
  • who are very elderly
  • with premature senescence of immune defenses
  • genetically predisposed not to respond to vaccination (including young people)

It should be noted that there are different types of antibodies and each targets only a specific “region” of the virus, for example the Nucleocapsid (N) protein or the Spike (S) protein.

Some vaccines develop antibodies against the Spike (S) protein and these are not detected by rapid serological tests that identify antibodies against the (N) protein: a negative test result would — INCORRECTLY — suggest that the vaccine did not work and that we are not protected.

A practical example: Abbott rapid antigen tests (as of 18/03/2021) do not identify antibodies induced by the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine: this detail is almost never reported in the technical datasheet of the tests, and the retailers who sell them often do not know how they work.

Our rapid tests identify the presence of antibodies induced by both virus and disease.

It is very likely, but the topic is still being studied, especially in relation to the continuous emergence of new variants.

What is certain is that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 gradually decrease over time until they disappear.

It should however be stressed that the defense actions adopted by our body against SARS-CoV-2 also involve other biological mechanisms, different from and complementary to antibodies.

Quantitative tests are certainly much more reliable than rapid tests.

Rapid tests, however, are very reliable in detecting the presence of IgG antibodies, the most important ones because they last over time and are indicative of immunity.

Their reliability also depends on choosing the appropriate test for the specific use (search for disease-induced and/or vaccine-induced antibodies)

Yes, a medical prescription would be required to perform the quantitative test.

If you do not have one, book your test without worry: you will be contacted by one of our doctors who will review your request and prepare the prescription for the day of the test. The service is free of charge.

All updated prices are available at the bottom of the page at www.tamponicovidpordenone.it

Serological tests

There are two families of SEROLOGICAL TESTS: QUALITATIVE and QUANTITATIVE.

  • QUALITATIVE serological tests detect the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and are performed by taking a drop of capillary blood with a finger prick.
  • QUANTITATIVE serological tests detect the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and also measure the antibodies present. For QUANTITATIVE serological tests a venous blood sample is required

Rapid serological test

Also known as “Rapid Serological Tests”, they only identify the presence of certain antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, without measuring their quantity.

Our rapid antigen test identifies antibodies induced by both disease and vaccine (from those vaccines that elicit antibody production).

The result is issued after 15 minutes, on a report in both IT and EN.

They are especially reliable in detecting IgG, those that last longest over time.

If the test result is positive, a swab is recommended to rule out contagiousness due to active disease.


Do you want to know whether you still have antibodies against the CORONAVIRUS?

Quantitative serological test

The quantitative serological test measures the quantity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 present in the blood.

It requires a venous blood sample and the report is sent by email to the patient within 2 working days.

We measure IgG antibodies that target the S1/RBD protein of the virus: we can therefore measure antibodies induced by both vaccine and disease (without distinction).

Our technology is CMIA, i.e. CLIA chemiluminescence with microparticle capture, while the unit of measurement is BAU WHO/ml, as provided by the World Health Organization (Feb 2021).

If the test result is positive, a swab is recommended to rule out contagiousness due to active disease.


Do you want to measure how many IgG antibodies against COVID-19 are in your blood?