[crazygringo]

Did you not get an antibody test at some point prior to the vaccine? That would have given you an answer with 99% certainty if you used a good one.

[briefcomment]

I think they are relatively expensive, ~$200. Probably worth it though.

We would need some form of official recognition of antibody tests though. Pretty sure most places that require vaccination don't accept antibody test results.

[alkonaut]

Antibody tests at the supermarket clinic here is $40. Unsure if that’s a crappy test or if any subsidy is provided. $40 vs $200 does seem like the usual EU vs US markup too I guess

[briefcomment]

Ah, not bad

[crazygringo]

Antibody tests have been widely made available for free across the developed world.

In NYC, for example, they've been available for free at a ton of different sites. It may always be as convenient or quick, but it's free.

[colospoin]

I believe the Red Cross tests for the antibody when you give blood, as well.

[bpodgursky]

Antibody tests were only widely available in July-August, so people who got COVID in Feb or March often didn't have high enough antibody counts by that point to flag positive on the tests.

[crazygringo]

That's not true.

The half-life of antibody levels has been estimated at 73 days. The antibody tests are quite sensitive, time has not been enough of a factor yet to produce false negatives. In a year or two it might be.

The only time concern is that you need to wait 2-3 weeks until after you recover from COVID to ensure you test positive.