Amarin Corp Plc (AMRN)

[sts66]

I know some things about the ELISA test since I've been getting them for 15 yrs - when my Dad said he tested positive for COVID on ELISA I was too shocked to think straight at the time, but a week later I was talking to one of my PTs about it and I started remembering more details about what that test shows - whether you have antibodies to a virus, period. When I got home I did a bit of research and what I suspected at her office was true, the test cannot distinguish between antibodies generated from a vaccine of from an infection, it's not that precise. In fact, most vaccine developers use the ELISA test in pre-clinical or P1 testing to see if the vaccine is creating antibodies, but the test is not recommended for use until 6-8 weeks until after a real vaccination to check for a viral infection. One of the reasons I hadn't thought about ELISA and COVID is because my doc only orders tests for bacterial infections, or viral infections for which there is no vaccine - nothing stopping him from ordering ELISA for mumps or measles but it would be a waste of money since I've been vaccinated.

So no way in hell my Dad got COVID - his ELISA test measured increased IgG antibodies from the booster shot he got. I emailed him about this about a week ago, the weekend before Thanksgiving, didn't get a response. But the day after Thanksgiving my older sister, the family organizer, said we were going to have Xmas at his house after all - YeeHaw! Whether my email and a discussion with his doc had anything to do with it I have no idea, but it couldn't have hurt - only condition is that we all self-test on the 24th - we celebrate on Xmas Eve to prevent scheduling problems with significant others and spouses celebrations - they get Xmas Day. CVS now has an FDA EUA antigen test in stores, $23 for a box of two tests, results in 15 minutes:

https://www.cvs.com/shop/abbott-binaxnow-covid-19-antigen-self-test-2-tests-for-serial-testing-prodid-550147


P.S. I think I may have gotten something backward in a previous post - IgM antibodies develop first but fade away fast - unless you have an active new infection they'll be negative for the rest of your life - IgG can indicate active infection, recently active infection, or past infection. The lab my doc uses doesn't put a value in the IgG column if antibody levels are below the negative reference level, but they always put a value in the IgM column despite the fact that they've always been negative for active infection in my case - that's a little weird (a value for a negative IgM result but blank box for negative IgG), probably why I thought IgM stayed with you for life.