Antibodies

Antibodies are disease-specific proteins that help fight off an infection and often provide immunity against that specific pathogen in the future.
Antibody tests work by taking a small blood sample and testing it for antibodies. Antibodies are produced when the body is fighting off a virus or infection, and stay in the blood for a long period of time after the infection. It is currently unknown how long the antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 stay in the body. The ELISA (serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test is used to detect antibodies. Blood from the patient will be mixed with the antigen for the specific virus, which is in this case SARS-CoV-2, and it will be observed whether or not the blood and antigens bind together, which is an indication that the patient has antibodies for that virus.

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