COVID-19 has changed the way we live our lives. Whether it’s a trip to the shops, or a reunion with a loved one, we all have to take extra precautions.

Face masks are now the norm, something that just six months ago would have been difficult to conceive, as is social distancing.

But these are just a couple of ways of ensuring we can protect those closest to us and our wider communities.

Testing is another way of ensuring the safety of those around us, a trip to the hairdressers – for example, is now accompanied by a digital temperature check on arrival.

And with testing stations in towns across the country taking swab tests, you can get checked if you believe you have symptoms of the Covid-19 virus.

But there is a possibility, you’ve had the virus already and not realised it. Or you had symptoms that were mild enough to be ignored.

This is where an antibody test could be the solution.

The test works by checking for antibodies in your blood.

Antibodies are produced when you get an infection, such as the Covid-19 virus, or when your body has an allergic reaction to pollen for example.

The body produces antibodies to fight off the invaders and then stores information about that invader so should it return the body can react faster, halting the infection before it gets chance to take hold, in effect you become immune.

A simple pinprick in the fingertip is all it takes to reveal whether you have Covid-19 antibodies in your system.

So should the test reveal the presence of Covid-19 antibodies in your blood, it’s likely you’ve had the infection before.

The test is best performed 14 to 21 days after your first symptoms come to light. This allows the body time to produce the antibodies in enough quantities to be detectable.

What does the test involve?

UK-based medical technology company NTL Biologica is currently operating mobile antibody testing units across many parts of the UK and on September the 9 and 16 will be carrying out testing at the David Lloyd Centre, Farnham, in Monkton Lane.

The testing process is simple.

Register for a test online at https://test.ntlbiologica.com, pick your time slot from the available appointments, pay the £60 fee (David Lloyd members get a discount) and you’ll be emailed a ticket for your testing.

The appointment itself takes less than 15 minutes and involves a small blood sample being taken from a fingertip.

That’s it – head home and wait for the results. These will be emailed to you within 12 hours of the test being completed.

A spokesman for NTL Biologica says: “We have sourced the best testing equipment from South Korea, one of the few countries leading the world testing and infection control, and will continue to upgrade when improved tests become available.

“Studies show this test is reliable in detecting a past infection with 96 per cent accuracy. When there are no antibodies, this will be negative 97 per cent of the time.”

This test looks for two types of antibodies – IgG and IgM. IgM antibodies are produced in the short term after infection, whereas IgG is produced in a more delayed timescale.

NTL Biologica’s mobile testing unit will be at David Lloyd Centre, Farnham, from 9am to 1pm on Wednesday, September 9; and on Wednesday, September 16 from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

To book an appointment, visit: https://test.ntlbiologica.com

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