Instead of professionally registered semi-quantitative antibody tests sold illegally to the general public, a legal home device is now available.
How can we check our level of COVID antibody protection and whether we may need a new vaccination?
The coronavirus epidemic is likely to stay with us at some level, and another wave could start at any time, so it’s good to know your current level of protection. Laboratory tests can quantify the amount of antibodies we have, but it is less well known that until now, the only way to do a rapid home test was with neutralising antibody tests sold illegally in web shops and some supermarkets. We are now able to detect quantitative levels of antibodies* in a banded (semi-quantitative) manner using the Swiss LOMINA rapid antibody test registered for home use.
Gábor Vattay epidemiologist 2022. had already calculated that the fifth wave of the coronavirus epidemic in Hungary would be well on its way to abating by the last day of February. (See our writing:
The fifth wave has peaked, we could have a good summer
.)
His estimation proved correct: while at the end of January, more than 5,000 tests were positive every day, by the last days of February, the number had dropped to less than half that, and in March, the number is still decreasing. However, the omicron variant of the coronavirus is still with us and will be, BA. 2 variant led to a peak in Germany and further restrictions in Austria. As restrictions are lifted, we are moving more freely and more boldly, so the chances of a full standstill of the epidemic are diminishing, but the chances of a new spring wave are increasing. Although the consequences of omicron seem less risky than with the earlier mutants, no one can feel safe even when vaccinated, even with booster vaccination, and even those vaccinated three times can become infected. Our experience shows that the population is much less likely to use antibody mapping than is justified.
Declining efficiency
Until now, we could only guess at how effective the vaccines are, but in February 2022, a new
study
[1]
which can be considered a credible study on the effectiveness of different vaccines. It found that all six vaccines can provide adequate protection in the post-administration period, but that this protection declines over time for all of them. However, the extent varies, with Sinopharm, Sputnik V and AstraZeneca being the most significant, especially among young people. However, the reduction in effectiveness is reversed by a booster vaccine (or a new infection), the study says.
Whatever vaccines are working in your body, after a while their effectiveness will diminish, they will wear off. The experts put this at four to six months. So it’s a good idea to check the date of your second or third vaccination and see what your antibody levels might be. It’s also worth checking the antibody immunity of people who have had the disease and have not had to be vaccinated because of it, but who have been cured for a few months. In fact, it has been reported in practice that previously vaccinated and affected individuals still had very high antibody levels 4-5 months after the last known time point, suggesting a new, asymptomatic infection or an effective immune system.
As the loss of effectiveness of different vaccines varies over time, and the timing of this varies from person to person, it is worthwhile for everyone to monitor changes in antibody levels regularly. To increase the frequency of measurements, frequent use of clinical laboratory tests would be quite expensive, but the Swiss LOMINA home-use rapid diagnostic tool can now perform semi-quantitative antibody detection, allowing us to check our antibody levels not only monthly, but also fortnightly or even weekly, to see how our antibody protection is declining and whether we need to consult a specialist for the next booster vaccination.
Checking antibody levels in your home
The Swiss Lomina is the first antibody test available in pharmacies nationwide, registered by the European Union for home use, which is also capable of semi-quantitative detection of coronavirus infection and IgG** antibody levels produced by vaccination. The test indicates the quantitative bands of IgG antibodies without any laboratory background (unfortunately, in our country most of the professional tests that do not have a four-digit number next to the CE mark on the box are not legally sold to the general public). Based on a study of 1,400 people conducted by the Ostrava State Health Institute in the spring of 2021, the Lomina test detected the presence of IgG antibodies with 100% accuracy, and the instructions in the test allow the tool to determine the banding of our antibody levels based on the time of appearance of the IgG test strip. The clinical sensitivity of Lomina IgG as published by the factory is 95.64%.
Anyone can take the test, and our video tutorial makes it a breeze to use. Parental supervision is required under the age of 14. According to the manufacturer, the sample is best obtained from blood taken from the ring or middle finger, and the test can detect the amount of antibody produced by any vaccine or Covid infection with high confidence, 14-21 days after vaccination or onset of symptoms. day, the expected start of IgG antibody production. The level of antibody is indicated by the time elapsed between dropping the sample into the test cassette and the appearance of the IgG strip. The shorter the time elapsed, the higher our antibody levels. Important: the first, however faint, appearance of a positive test strip should be compared with the time measurement.
In most cases, a quick test can provide a useful and accurate answer, but it is always advisable to consult a doctor for personalised testing, as the immune system’s defences are not only provided by IgG antibodies, but also by the so-called T-cell immune response.
How to decide?
We are getting further and further away in time for the third vaccination, and in spring 2022 those who received their booster vaccination in autumn 2021 will find out how protected they are from the coronavirus. Before a new wave, it is worth finding out whether your body is sufficiently protected against invading coronaviruses. The test can be purchased in the webshop or in pharmacies.
Comments:
*An antibody is an antibody, a protein molecule produced by our immune system that helps to recognise and neutralise viruses that have entered the body as part of the immune response. Those who have been infected and vaccinated have sufficient IgG antibodies for a period of time, and the presence of IgG antibodies can be measured.
**(IgG = immunoglobulin G, an antibody, vital proteins circulating in the blood, whose main function is to neutralise and remove viruses and bacteria from the body in the medium and long term.)
[1] 1. MedRxiv 2022.02.18: Real-time monitoring of the effectiveness of six COVID-19 vaccines in Hungary in 2021 using the screening method. Krisztina Horváth J. (SE ESK), Tamás Ferenci (Óbuda University), Annamária Ferenczi (SE ESK), Gergő Túri (SE ESK), Gergely Röst (University of Szeged), Beatrix Oroszi (SE ESK). The manuscript is still unedited in technical language, but is reportedly under review by an international journal.