3 ms·

Here's my opposite anecdote: I live in NYC and in mid-March I had all of the headline COVID-19 symptoms, including most notably shortness of breath (which I've

Here's my opposite anecdote: I live in NYC and in mid-March I had all of the headline COVID-19 symptoms, including most notably shortness of breath (which I've never before experienced in my life short of high altitude hiking). I got the Abbott test two weeks ago, and the result came back negative. I was so sure I'd had it, but now it's looking like maybe I didn't.

aklein 7y ago
I remember reading that some people, especially those under 40, don’t develop observable antibodies. Or, could’ve just been the flu. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/health/coronavirus-antibody-prevalence.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/health/coronavirus-antibo...
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  "Because tests to diagnose coronavirus infection were unavailable to most people in New York City in March, the researchers included another 719 people in their study who suspected they had Covid-19 based on symptoms and exposure to the virus, but in whom the illness had not been diagnosed. In this group, the researchers found a different picture altogether. The majority of these people — 62 percent — did not seem to have antibodies. Some of them may have been tested too soon after their illness for antibodies to be detectable. But many probably mistook influenza, another viral infection or even allergies for Covid-19, Dr. Wajnberg said." Yeouch, that could be me in that group. Also: "The team tested 624 people who had tested positive for the virus and had recovered. At first, just 511 of them had high antibody levels; 42 had low levels; and 71 had none. When 64 of the subjects with weak or no levels were retested more than a week later, however, all but three had at least some antibodies." It's been well past the 3 weeks for me that they're recommending. I'm gonna get another test and if that also comes back negative, it seems likely that I didn't actually have it.

aklein 7y ago

I remember reading that some people, especially those under 40, don’t develop observable antibodies. Or, could’ve just been the flu. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/health/coronavirus-antibody-prevalence.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/health/coronavirus-antibo...

CydeWeys 7y ago
"Because tests to diagnose coronavirus infection were unavailable to most people in New York City in March, the researchers included another 719 people in their study who suspected they had Covid-19 based on symptoms and exposure to the virus, but in whom the illness had not been diagnosed. In this group, the researchers found a different picture altogether. The majority of these people — 62 percent — did not seem to have antibodies. Some of them may have been tested too soon after their illness for antibodies to be detectable. But many probably mistook influenza, another viral infection or even allergies for Covid-19, Dr. Wajnberg said." Yeouch, that could be me in that group. Also: "The team tested 624 people who had tested positive for the virus and had recovered. At first, just 511 of them had high antibody levels; 42 had low levels; and 71 had none. When 64 of the subjects with weak or no levels were retested more than a week later, however, all but three had at least some antibodies." It's been well past the 3 weeks for me that they're recommending. I'm gonna get another test and if that also comes back negative, it seems likely that I didn't actually have it.