The vaccine is the most promising measure that is carried out for individual protection and collective protection against COVID-19. Protecting yourself from COVID-19 is crucial because, in some cases, the disease can become seriously complicated and even lead to death.
Vaccines against COVID-19 help our body develop immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, without become infected with the disease. The protection provided by the vaccine is based on the generation of “memory” T lymphocytes. In addition, B lymphocytes will be also generated that will remember how to fight viruses in the future. After vaccination, it takes a few weeks for the body to produce enough T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes for the effective protection.
However, the speed in the manufacture of the vaccine has been the subject of discussion and mistrust of part of population. Thus, several questions arise such as: the vaccine is effective ? Are the adequate level of antibodies being produced in vaccinated people to generate immunity?
The data being received from country with the most advanced vaccination program, Israel, is showing encouraging results by reducing the death rate and the average age of hospitalizations. We can anticipate the personal response to the vaccine with rapid antibody diagnostic tests. These tests allow us to quickly know if a person has antibodies or not against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Unlike serological tests in which a tube of blood is needed, in these rapid tests only a drop of blood from the finger is necessary.
The test is designed to detect levels of IgG antibodies that adhere to the spike protein of the virus on its surface in serum and plasma of people suspected of having Covid-19, or in serum and plasma of people who may have been infected by SARS-CoV-2.
In Biomedal, it has been verified that there are rapid tests that in a matter of a few minutes (10-15 minutes) show that high levels of antibodies are produced in vaccinated individuals. It is important to remark that not all available tests detect antibodies against the virus spike, which is the protein of the virus to which they must react.
In short, the use of rapid antibody tests could work as a useful instrument to check if the immunity has been generated in people vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
