Finding the right tests…
Emergency services available 24 x 7
Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
Hormonal
This blood test looks for the total pool of antibodies your immune system has built against SARS-CoV-2, combining whatever your body made from past infection, vaccination, or both. It isn't a test for active infection — a PCR or antigen test does that job — so a positive result here just means you've been exposed at some point, not that you're currently sick. Because most versions detect antibodies against the spike protein, which vaccines and infection both produce, it usually can't separate infection from vaccination, unless it's specifically testing for nucleocapsid antibodies, which only appear after real infection. Antibody levels also fade over months, so a negative result doesn't rule out past exposure, and a positive one doesn't guarantee protection.
This test measures the combined pool of antibody types your immune system has produced against SARS-CoV-2, most commonly targeting the spike protein, and reports a qualitative reactive or non-reactive result rather than a precise titre in most standard assays. A standard blood draw is used. Depending on which specific antibody the assay targets — spike versus nucleocapsid — the result can mean different things, so it's worth asking the lab or your doctor which protein this particular assay is built to detect before assuming what a positive result tells you.
'Total antibodies' means this test is designed to catch the combined signal from the different antibody classes your immune system can produce against SARS-CoV-2, rather than isolating just one type like IgM or IgG. Most versions target the spike protein, the same target most vaccines are built around.
Because vaccination and natural infection both trigger spike-protein antibodies, a positive result on a spike-based assay generally can't tell you which one caused it, according to CDC. Some labs run a separate assay for nucleocapsid antibodies instead, which only appear after real infection, never from vaccination — that distinction is what actually separates infection history from vaccine history, not the 'total antibody' result on its own.
This is not a diagnostic test for active infection — a PCR or antigen test does that. It's also not a reliable way to judge how protected you currently are, since CDC is explicit that antibody presence doesn't guarantee protection, and levels fade over months regardless of how they were acquired.
- Reflects past exposure, not active infection - Spike-based results can't separate infection from vaccination - Doesn't measure your current protection level
No. This test looks for antibodies your immune system built up over time, not the virus itself, so it can't diagnose an active infection. A PCR or rapid antigen test is what's used for that, according to CDC.
It depends on which antibody the assay targets. CDC explains that antibodies against the spike protein come from either infection or vaccination, while antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein only appear after actual infection, so ask the lab which type this test measures.
Not necessarily. CDC states that the presence of antibodies doesn't guarantee protection from future infection or severe disease, and antibody levels are known to fade over time.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Yes. CDC notes that antibodies are expected to decrease or wane over time, and some people who were infected or vaccinated can eventually test seronegative, so a negative result doesn't rule out a past infection.
Timing varies by antibody type — CDC surveillance data notes that spike antibodies can rise more slowly than nucleocapsid antibodies after infection, so testing too soon after exposure may miss a genuine response.
No specific fasting requirement is described for this test, but ask your doctor or the centre when you book, since practice can vary.
Current CDC guidance does not use antibody test results to guide vaccination or booster decisions, since antibody levels don't reliably predict your protection. Ask your doctor about vaccination timing separately from this test.