The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on people throughout the world. Most of us in the U.S. have never experienced anything like this pandemic and it is understandable to be concerned about our health and those of our loved ones. While there are still many questions to be answered about this virus and how it attacks the human body, the antibodies that fight this virus have been identified. At Arcadia Wellness Center, we offer COVID-19 antibody testing at our medical clinic in Phoenix.
Benefits of COVID-19 Antibody Testing
When a virus attacks the cells in the body, our immune system goes to work to fight off this infection. One of the responses is creating specialized proteins that work to neutralize the invading virus, or antibodies. In COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2, those who have contracted the virus will have antibodies in their blood stream, whether they had symptoms of the illness or not. Even those who were asymptomatic with no noticeable symptoms will have COVID-19 antibodies in their body.
With many viruses, once antibodies are present in the body, it is unlikely the person will become re-infected with the same virus. However, it is not known yet whether that is the case with COVID-19. More research is needed to determine whether those with antibodies will provide some level of protection from the virus. Even though there is much that is not known about COVID-19 and the antibodies, testing can have benefits including:
- Knowing whether you were exposed to the virus
- Recognizing symptoms that may have been caused by COVID-19
- Alerting others who may have been exposed to the virus through you
- Awareness for future revelations about COVID-19
COVID-19 antibodies can take four weeks or more to be present in the blood, which means a false-negative is possible for those who recently had the virus. Antibody testing also does not indicate whether you currently have the virus, only if you were exposed in the past. As more is learned about how the antibodies impact immunity to future exposure to COVID-19, knowing whether or not you have already been exposed could be beneficial.
If you are interested in COVID-19 antibody testing, contact us at Arcadia Wellness Center. We will be happy to answer any questions you have or schedule an appointment for a quick test at our clinic in Phoenix.
