confused1 wrote:They have a cheap antibody test but I don't know how accurate it is.
The quicker and cheaper anti
gen tests has lesser false positives. However, here each positive antigen would have to be confirmed by a following PCR, to become exempted from obligatory testing for the next half year. Negative antigen results required for immetiate events are only valid 24 hours, PCR results for 72 hours.
In my case tested both at the same time and spot, for being considered tested for the following 2 days. The antigen result came back negative 20 minutes later, the PCR positive result arrived 24 hours later (with a CT-value of 37.

.
Other than the most likely interpretation of CT-values above 30 being most likely false positive (3 in 4 cases), the contact tracing team here seem to believe in only 2 possibilties of interpretation for such unlikely high CT-values: the infection stlll increasing or already declining. They did however confirm that with a CT-value above 30 I most likely wouldn't be infectious to others.
Interestingly, the official self-isolating order stated, my PCR unequivocally proved that I'm infected with covid (without mentioning the unlikely high CT-value), at the same time acknowledging that a 2nd test on the 7th day with CT-value above 30 would then be considered a negative result, and a free pass for me to leave the self-isolation.
How can the first test with a CT above 30 be interpreted as definitive positive, but a second on the 7th day with the same negative?!? Their reasoning is because after an infection resolves, the PCR with higher CTs would still show positive because of death viral fragments without the ability to infectiousness anymore.
Anti
bodies might be produced in dedectible amounts
after an infection. Do prove that you had an infection and give you exemption from futher testing for 3 months (in the EU). However they might not be dedectible even with certain previous infection, due to immunity having other means for resolving an infection (ie. mucosal immunity..) without the need to produce antibodies.
Many times Anti
gen and Anti
body due to their similiar name are confused. Antigen test are taken as swabs from the nose (similiar as PCRs), Antibodies are tested with blood.