Although the serological test method, which is planned to be used in Azerbaijan as part of the fight against COVID-19, is less familiar to the public than other types of tests, it is an effective way to achieve better results than others.
Qadin.Net acquaints readers with serological tests and details.
Y-shaped proteins that are part of the immune system and fight foreign bodies in the body are called antibodies, or "immunoglobulins" as they are medically called. These foreign substances, known as antigens, can be any bacteria, viruses or chemicals. Any antibody secreted by a foreign body is unique and is used to recognize the structure on the antigen. Thus, antibodies bind to antigens to remove them from the body and form complexes for the immune system.
An antibody test, called a serological test, is a procedure performed to determine the presence or absence of a specific antibody in a blood sample taken from a patient. Some antibody tests focus on a specific type of antibody. For example, the most common antibody tests are IgM, IgG and IgE.
Importance of application of serological tests
Assess the immune status of a particular microorganism,
To observe the movement of a particular infection,
Investigation of exposure to infectious antigen,
To investigate the reaction of a blood transfusion or the reasons for the rejection of a transplanted organ by our body,
Diagnose deficiencies caused by allergies, hepatitis, AIDS, liver disease, pharyngitis, thyroid or autoimmune problems.
To whom can serological tests be applied?
Types of antibody tests are applied to individuals who are suspected of having bacteria or viruses in their body. For example, the IgG antibody test is used to diagnose, monitor, or assess the state of the immune system in patients with infectious diseases. A similar IgM antibody test is performed on patients to detect infectious diseases in the circulatory and lymphatic systems and to check the state of immunity. In contrast, the IgA antibody test is preferred in the assessment of immune system deficiency.
Serological tests and COVID-19 correlation
Serological tests have recently become a very common type of test due to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of efforts to eliminate pandemic-preventive measures and prevent the spread of the second wave, antibody tests have been launched to identify individuals, especially those who are immune to the new type of coronavirus.
Antibody tests for COVID-19 are used primarily to detect antibodies to the virus present in the blood of infected and later cured patients. In addition, these tests are used to identify people who are infected but do not show symptoms of the disease.
The number of people infected with the virus has not been determined, as not everyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 worldwide is tested for the coroavirus. In addition, it is clear to everyone that the carriers of the virus are asymptomatic individuals who do not show such symptoms. Although these people themselves are mildly infected with COVID-19, they have come to an important position because they are at risk of infecting others. In this regard, antibody tests are important both in terms of obtaining real statistics and assessing the level of the immune system gained by the community.
The use of global serological tests to understand the level of pandemics around the world is encouraged.
There is another point to note here. Serological tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the body do not fully determine whether the body is immune to the virus. In this context, there is no test to determine immunity to COVID-19. Sharing a note on the subject, the World Health Organization said that research was being conducted on the development of antibodies against the virus. Most of the research has focused on the development of antibodies in people who become ill and recover from the virus, and then its low levels. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that a strong immune system can develop after recovery.
How is the serological test applied?
During the serological test for COVID-19, different test methods and different types of antibodies are analyzed. These are IgG, IgM and IgA immunoglobulins.
The antibody test is applied in 2 different simple ways. The first is fast diagnostic kits. These kits, which can be used at home, give results in 15 minutes. However, because antibody secretion takes some time, the test should be performed in the days after the virus enters the body
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