During the past few months, people have been in and out of quarantine. Some go into quarantine when they come back from abroad, some test positive for Covid-19, while others were exposed to someone who tested positive. The Ministry of Health announced that they are allowing people to get exempt from quarantine if they have a positive antibody test.
What is an antibody test?
Antibodies are found in the blood of people who have been infected with certain diseases to determine if they have immunity (The immunity may be long term or short term, depending on the virus) and they usually start developing between 1-3 weeks after being infected. Therefore, if someone has been infected with the Coronavirus, their bodies will produce antibodies to give them protections against another infection (of Covid-19), and they will have some kind of immunity against the virus (it still isn't known how long the antibodies last).
The Antibody Test vs. The Vaccine
When someone gets the virus, their bodies produce their own antibodies to fight against any reinfection of the virus. This type of immunity is stronger, however, it still isn't known how long it lasts.
The new Coronavirus vaccine isn't the typical vaccine that exposes your body to the actual virus (and you have a chance of getting the virus). This vaccine is protein from the virus that multiplies in your body into antibodies that help you against the Coronavirus.This is great for people who are at risk and who the virus poses a big threat.
People who have been infected with the Coronavirus and have antibodies do not need to get the vaccine (while their antibody levels are high enough).
Due to the Coronavirus, many countries require quarantine upon entering the country (between 10-12 days with a negative Coronavirus test in between). This has been very problematic for people who want to travel and see their families and people who commute for work. ]
People who can show a positive antibody test (meaning they had Coronavirus and now have some kind of immunity) can get exemption from quarantine! This is a big deal especially since quarantine means being alone for 10-12 days, without seeing your family, or any human contact. You can also get out of quarantine if you have been exposed to someone who has the Coronavirus.
Getting the antibody test is also helpful for people who take care of their elderely parent and want to make sure that they have some kind of immunity and then they don’t have to worry about infecting their parents.