I am finally getting tested!

[Laffy Kat]

I've been on isolation per doctor's orders since Monday due to a URI and asthma flare. The HMO where I work called to say I qualify for testing now since they've decided to approve testing for patient-facing employees who are on isolation. They scheduled the testing for tomorrow at 2:10 and said it takes 2-4 days for results. I know I'm negative, so it means I may be able to return to work on Monday instead of Wednesday. Meanwhile, I'm burning through my PTO.

[hlthe2b]

1. too bad they won't have an antibody test for you as well as the RT-PCR

on the slight chance you actually had been infected and are now showing IgG antibody immunity.

It continues to shock the hell out of me that both antigen and antibody tests were not developed concurrently, as has been the case for every other emerging infection in recent years. This has been one C>>Fk of a response.

[Laffy Kat]

2. I know. At least I'm sure some sort of titer test will be available soon.

Then maybe a vaccine in the late part of 2021?

[hlthe2b]

3. Unlikely titer test readily available. It will be a rapid ELISA that is qualitative only

and likely only show IgG (though we need to likewise be testing for IgM for the purposes of serosurveys and as a check on these reports of false-negative antigen tests).

While quantitative tests would be more useful in the long run, that's some ways out and probably will be restricted in use as they will likely be more complex and not readily applied to rapid testing. But, knowing there is any evidence of IgG antibody is certainly more meaningful than what we have now.

[Laffy Kat]

4. I'll take your word for it. You sound like you know a lot more than I do.

At least an ELISA would give us something. All of us need to know if we've been infected.