Why don’t rapid tests detect antibodies?
Depending on the type of vaccine we have been inoculated with, the body’s immune response against Covid-19 should appear around 10 days later. However, many people are surprised when rapid tests do not detect any antibodies.
Structural proteins
SaRS-Cov-2 virus contains four structural proteins: S, N, M and E. When a person becomes infected, their immune system faces-off with these amino acids thus creating anti-N and anti-S antibodies.
However, this does not happen after vaccination. The vaccine acts in such a way that our body generates defences against the S (Spike) protein only.
Rapid Tests
Most rapid tests in existence today are only able to detect anti-N antibodies. Thus, rapid tests can tell us whether a person has or has had Covid-19, but not whether a person has been vaccinated.
What is the most reliable method for detecting antibodies after vaccination?
Hospital Ochoa has the market’s most reliable test for measuring a person’s post-vaccine immunological response.
The ELISA method is a serological test that detects IgG and IgM antibodies. It is conducted via blood sample and provides very reliable information by quantitatively assessing the numbers of both antibodies (during an infection’s acute phase).
