The cardiologist dr. VT Shah, who was away from the labs for 11 months, was eager to practice again after the vaccination. Forty days after taking the first dose on January 20, he underwent a negative antibody test at Breach Candy Hospital. He took the antibody test again after taking the second sting on February 20th. “My levels were higher than 220,” Shah said. “It gave me confidence to practice again, but I still wear a mask.”
Some health professionals use the test to determine the second dose of vaccination. The time interval between vaccine doses, particularly Covishield, has been the subject of debate with the WHO to say that the second dose is most effective when taken between 8-12 weeks, while the Union Ministry of Health is at the minimum gap of four weeks.
Dr Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Sethia Hospital in Chembur, said: ‘After the first dose, my protein levels rose to 80 U / ml. If my antibody was not so high, I might have delayed the second dose. ”
Lab says they only respond to the social question. “The test will give us a lot of information about low, moderate and high antibody levels that can shed light on the amount sufficient to fight the virus,” said Dr Nilesh Shah, president of Metropolis Healthcare.
Dr Anupa Dixit of Suburban Diagnostics said the tests serve as a reassurance at the end of two bumps. “The best time to look at antibodies is 15 days after the second shot,” she said.
Some believe the test may be unnecessary and even unreliable. Dr Sujata Baveja, who heads the microbiology department at Zion Hospital, said not all Covid-19 antibody test kits were reliable.
The US CDC does not recommend antibody tests after vaccination, and adds that there is no information on revaccination or additional doses if one does not show antibodies. State Covid task force member Dr Rahul Pandit said the neutralizing antibody test could give people a false sense of complacency because they feel they can wait before taking the vaccine or the second dose. According to the immunologist dr. Mukesh Desai of Wadia Hospital, patients sometimes have a higher protective T cell, even though their antibodies are undetectable. “What is the point of taking an antibody test, once the effectiveness of vaccines has been determined?”