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Since May 11, 2020, CeGaT offers a CE certified corona antibody test. This test determines whether a person has antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. People who have antibodies are assumed to have undergone a coronavirus infection and are highly likely to be immune.
The collection tubes required for the test can be ordered via the web portal www.cegat.com/corona. Also, the free-of-charge blood collection has started on the premises of CeGaT (open Mon-Fri 8 am – 6 pm).
The chances of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 after recovery from COVID-19 are very high. In a recent study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell, 13 of 14 patients that recovered from COVID-19 showed antibodies against the spike protein of the novel coronavirus. The sera of these 13 patients showed anti-viral effects in so-called neutralization assays. This type of cellular assay is considered to be the secure proof that the patients’ antibodies can neutralize the novel coronavirus.
CeGaT uses a test procedure developed together with the Reutlingen-based biotechnology company Mediagnost. It detects IgG antibodies directed against the S1 domain of the SARS CoV-2 spike protein. This approach provides the best possible specificity for tests for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) – as also used e.g. in the Euroimmun test. The Mediagnost assay received CE certification last week.The data submitted for CE-marking show a sensitivity of >95% and a specificity of almost 99% for the test, based on a cohort size of almost 300 patients. The sensitivity of the test is expected to increase with a longer time interval between disease and conducting the test (3-4 weeks).Our test provides significantly higher specificity than the rapid antibody tests available today (these have a specificity of only 60-70%). Its specificity is also higher than the specificity of antibody tests that aim to detect antibodies against the protein nucleocapsid: The nucleocapsid protein shows higher similarity to other more harmless corona cold viruses than the S1 domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. The more similar the protein to be detected is to proteins of closely related viruses, the higher the probability of false-positive results.We are convinced that with our antibody test, we are offering you a high-quality test that is at the same time inexpensive, very fast, and also available in high-throughput. As always, quality is our top priority.