COVID-19 Antibody Test

Antibodies are proteins that the body produces in response to an infection or vaccine. There are 2 types of COVID-19 antibody tests: a spike protein test and a nucleocapsid test.

This COVID-19 Antibody Test is a spike protein test which can detect antibodies from a prior or recent infection, regardless of whether symptoms were present. Positive results may also occur after a COVID-19 vaccination, but the clinical significance is not yet known. A nucleocapsid test can only detect antibodies from a prior or recent infection.

The COVID-19 Antibody Test detects the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the time of taking the test. It may take time for antibodies to develop from the time of exposure or vaccination, so it is not recommended that you take this test immediately after vaccination, or at the onset of symptoms.

This test is authorized to detect antibodies from a prior or recent infection by the FDA under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and meets Quest’s high-quality standards. This semiquantitative COVID-19 Antibody Test provides a positive or negative result and a numerical value that can show your immune response over time if you use the same test.

About COVID-19 antibody tests

After a natural infection, current research shows that it may be best to get antibody testing at least 3 weeks after symptom onset or known exposure to COVID-19 to increase the opportunity to detect an immune response.

It may be best to wait at least 3 weeks after your vaccination is fully completed. Antibody testing for the purposes of vaccine decision making is not currently recommended by the CDC.

If you test too soon, your body may not have produced enough antibodies to be detected by the test, which can lead to a false negative result. This test can sometimes detect antibodies from other related coronaviruses you may have been exposed to, such as a virus that causes the common cold. This can cause a false positive result.

COVID-19 is highly contagious, and you should continue to practice preventive measures to protect yourself and others, regardless of your antibody level.

This test should not be used to diagnose an active COVID-19 infection. If an active infection is suspected, molecular or antigen testing is recommended.

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