How does a rapid COVID-19 antibody detection test work?

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis has put a lot of people out of business. In medmesafe it has been the opposite. It was a time of a lot of work during which we have been in contact with laboratories around the world, manufacturers and distributors of tests, as well as doctors from various specialties (genetics, immunology, family…) to better understand both this virus and the disease that results of your infection.

 

More than a startup, medmesafe is a technology that allows the development of platforms putting different actors (users, doctors, laboratories,…) in contact safely and quickly with functionalities such as user registration, appointment scheduling, video consultation, online payment…

 

For these technical reasons and because of our experience in e-health, we were contacted by a European test distributor. We got down to work and in a few weeks we prepared three platforms:

 

https://www.mitestcoronavirus.com 

https://www.montestcoronavirus.com 

https://www.mytestforcoronavirus.com 

 

After these successful launches, our client courtesy sent me a test kit.

 

Why have I taken the test?

I do not think I have passed COVID-19 because I confined myself very early with my wife and children on March 11, the date on which Madrid schools closed.

 

However, like many, I have noticed symptoms such as headaches and malaise that are often related to the COVID-19 infection.

 

Curious, I was interested then to know if the disease had passed. And the only solution we have today is to do the serological antibody test. I do not see this test as a diagnosis since it says if you have had the virus or if you currently have it, as the famous PCR can guarantee, but it gives an indication of whether you have developed antibodies that have fought against the disease.

 

What interests me most about this test is:

 

Know if I have had the disease.

Deduce if I have had it recently or a long time.

In the case that I have had it, know that it has not affected me much and that in case of having it again, assume that it would not affect me anymore.

Waiting for the first data that we have that consider that we can develop an immunity, even if temporary, is verified.

Here is a table that explains how the infection to COVID19 evolves:

 

Source: https://theconversation.com/por-que-necesitamos-tests-de-anticuerpos-frente-a-la-covid-19-para-volver-al-trabajo-136154 

The stages of the test:

Massage the finger:

 

Clean it well with the alcohol wipe:

 

Prick with the lancet:

 

Collect the sample with the pipette:

 

Transfer the sample to the cassette:

 

Pour the reagent:

 

Wait 10 minutes:

 

Observe the results:

 

To do it, I followed the tutorial that is here

Result:

 

In 10 minutes, the test gave me a negative result. The high reliability of the kit means that this result is hardly debatable.

 

I am not surprised that it is negative since I have confined myself very soon, that the few times I have gone out I have respected the health recommendations to the letter, that is, going out with a mask, washing my hands very frequently, cleaning my clothes after each exit, …

 

Would I have liked to test positive? Yes. Above all, only having IgG antibodies, meaning that the disease would have passed without being able to infect others.

Conclusion:

 

I will continue to take many precautions, not only with myself, but with my loved ones, especially the most vulnerable who are my parents, in-laws, grandmother,…

 

Likewise, when I have the opportunity to see them again, I will take another preventive test since I would not forgive myself for infecting them with the disease.

 

Thanks, the COVID-19 crisis has put a lot of people out of business. In medmesafe it has been the opposite. It was a time of a lot of work during which we have been in contact with laboratories around the world, manufacturers and distributors of tests, as well as doctors from various specialties (genetics, immunology, family…) to better understand both this virus and the disease that results of your infection.

 

More than a startup, medmesafe is a technology that allows the development of platforms putting different actors (users, doctors, laboratories,…) in contact safely and quickly with functionalities such as user registration, appointment scheduling, video consultation, online payment…

 

For these technical reasons and because of our experience in e-health, we were contacted by a European test distributor. 

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