07-05-20, 04:29 PM
Quote:The other test however (possibly available soon at a cost) is the Antibody one, which shows if you have antibodies in your system from previously trying to fight off an infection which then stay in your body in case they're needed again in the future.We’ve got anti-body tests at work. There may be different types of anti-body test. I enquired last week about being tested. I don’t meet the criteria. I had symptoms that fit covid19 at the end of February and beginning of March. The test we have must be carried out within 14 days of recovery.
Get a Positive reading for that one and you have a green light as "theoretically" you should now be immune. This is not 100% guaranteed that you can't be infected again, due to the way that viruses mutate, but even still your body would most certainly cope with any reinfection much better than it would have done without these antibodies, without a doubt.
Virologists expect that people would have at least three months immunity after having had Covid19. It might turn out to be life time immunity, or just the three months.
As for fighting the infection a second time having a better outcome than the first time – who knows – better if you still have the anti-bodies, but how long will you have them for?
Can’t help thinking about shingles. You first get it as chickenpox, but it stays in your body after you recover. Then it can reappear as shingles. I’ve had shingles twice. The first time it was nasty, but after two weeks I recovered and wondered what all the fuss was about. Last year I got it again, took me four weeks to recover, and the thought of ever having it again doesn’t bear thinking about – it was foccin absolute hell.