Free FDA authorized COVID-19 antibody test with a Red Cross blood donation AND Amazon is thanking donors June 1-30 with a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card by email
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Here is the Red Cross website to make an appointment: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/covid-19-antibody-testing.html
Discover Your Antibody Test Status When You Give Blood
For a limited time, the American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to our donors. This testing may provide critical insight into whether donors may have possibly been exposed to this coronavirus. The Red Cross is committed to helping others in meaningful ways during this pandemic.
What is the Antibody Test?
An antibody test screens for antibodies in your blood, which are formed when fighting an infection, like COVID-19. An antibody test assesses whether your immune system has responded to the infection, not if the virus is currently present. The COVID-19 antibody test is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms.
Please note the Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, including COVID-19. If you feel unwell for any reason, please postpone your donation. Individuals who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 should not present to donate until they are symptom free for 28 days and feeling well and healthy.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/covid-test-red-cross-blood-donation/
However, I saw an article today that said after a few months antibodies against COVID-19 might start to fade (especially gor those who contracted the virus and had no or mild symptoms). I think more research needs to be done to get a definitive answer though.
https://futurism.com/neoscope/coronavirus-antibodies-fade-after-few-months
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I went to the Red Cross website to make an appointment and I was offered a free $5 Amazon gift card for giving blood, also.
Note: Amazon is thanking donors June 1-30 with a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card* by email.
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My results are in:
COVID-19 Antibody Test Result: Negative
Still waiting on the $5 Amazon gift card.
What Does My Test Result Mean?
A positive test result indicates that you may have had a previous
exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 and your body has developed
specific antibodies to the virus, regardless of whether you developed
symptoms. A positive antibody test does not confirm infection or
immunity. It is currently unknown whether the presence of COVID-19
antibodies will provide immunity to future infection, although this
has been shown to be the case in similar viruses for a period of time.
If your test result is positive, the Red Cross may contact you to
request additional information and conduct further testing as part of
a research study. If additional testing occurs, you will be notified
of the results by mail.A negative test result means that you probably have not been exposed
to COVID-19 and therefore have not developed antibodies to the virus.
It also could indicate that antibodies are present but at levels below
the test’s threshold for detection, or that the test did not recognize
those antibodies. It is possible that you can still contract the
virus, if exposed. It takes one to three weeks after an infection for
antibodies to be present.