Antibody Testing: The Importance of Knowing Your Levels

With the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading across the globe, concerned individuals are becoming increasingly interested in getting tested for the virus. Unfortunately, a shortage of supply and warehouse workers leave at-home COVID-19 rapid test kits nearly impossible to find and COVID-19 PCR testing sights overwhelmed with unbelievably long wait times.

While testing for COVID-19 is important to protect ourselves and the immune-compromised individuals around us, an overlooked test that offers valuable information is the COVID-19 antibody test. Antibody levels are directly correlated with your susceptibility to contracting and spreading viruses. Research shows that if you have high levels of antibodies, you have some level of protection and decreased susceptibility to contracting the virus.

What are Antibodies and why they are important?

Antibodies, part of the adaptive immune system, are proteins present in the body that bind to foreign invaders such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria, formulating an attack against these invaders to eliminate the threat that they pose. The reason antibodies are included in what’s referred to as the “adaptive” immune system is because they learn to recognize specific pathogens that they have been exposed to in the past and are able to formulate a defense when exposed to them again.

The way to develop antibodies against a specific pathogen is by being exposed to that pathogen, whether that be naturally or thru vaccination. Whether you are vaccinated, previously diagnosed with COVID-19 or are simply looking to assess your level of protection against COVID-19, there are tests that can determine your antibody levels and, theoretically, your level of protection.

While there are five different types of antibodies (also referred to as immunoglobulins), most antibody testing laboratories only test for just two types related to COVID-19. However, research shows that there are actually three antibodies that are relevant to the COVID-19 virus and should be tested to assess your level of protection.

How to Test

At Valley Integrative Pharmacy, we offer COVID-19 antibody testing from Vibrant America, a functional testing laboratory that tests for the three antibodies that have been shown to be most relevant to COVID-19.

While it is not fully understood how long antibody protection against COVID-19 lasts and everybody’s level of antibodies slowly decrease at a different rate, you can feel peace of mind knowing your antibody levels and whether or not you are more susceptible to contracting the virus by testing.

To schedule your antibody test or learn more about the test that we offer, call us at Valley Integrative Pharmacy at 908-658-4900.

Joe Condora is the nutrition and health coach at Valley Integrative Pharmacy and host of the top-rated health and wellness podcast The Primal Example Podcast.