1. Registration and order
Registration in our web portal. Order of 50 or more barcoded CeGaT tubes.
Ordering and Conducting of the Corona Antibody Test
A blood sample (serum) is required for the test. Blood can be collected in two ways:
1. Blood collection at the doctor’s office
Blood collection must be done by qualified medical personnel, such as your family physician. In most cases, the blood sample cannot be taken by oneself.
Only blood samples in the barcoded sample tubes of CeGaT are accepted for the test. These tubes are available free of charge and can be ordered via our web portal. For safety reasons, no cannula is included in the kits. Before ordering, please speak to your family doctor whether a blood sample can be taken using the CeGaT tubes (Sarstedt S-Monovette® 4.9 ml [04.1934]). The CeGaT tubes must be ordered in advance by you or your doctor.
For international orders there is a minimum order quantity of 50 sample tubes.
2. Blood collection on the premises of CeGaT GmbH or at collection points of our partners
CeGaT offers a free blood collection service on its premises in Tübingen. In this case it is not necessary to order the tubes in advance. Blood collection at CeGaT is possible without an appointment Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Procedure at the doctor’s office
Procedure at one of the blood collection points
Note: The result cannot be viewed in the web portal.
Statistics
Record since May 11, 2020, with weekly updates.
The high rate of positive-tested persons can be explained by the fact that especially persons with past unclear symptoms or previous travels in risk areas ask for an antibody test (positive selection). Many of the people who come to CeGaT for a blood collection report precisely this motivation – to gain clarity as to whether they have had COVID-19 disease.
Positive predictive value
The positive predictive value (PPV) is a parameter for evaluating medical testing procedures. It indicates how many people who have been given a certain diagnosis by a particular test procedure are actually ill. For the calculation of the PPV, according to Bayes, the specificity of the test and the prevalence of the disease are of particular importance.
The prevalence indicates the occurrence of cases of the disease in the population at a given moment. While the specificity can be determined very precisely, the prevalence is currently unknown. It can only be estimated roughly and varies considerably from region to region. Therefore, the PPV should be interpreted with great caution at the moment.
As an example, for the test we use, which has a specificity of 99.6 percent, an assumed prevalence of 5 percent results in a PPV of 93 percent. This means that 93 percent of positive results are actually positive, while 7 percent are false positive. Assuming a prevalence of 10 percent with the same specificity, this results in a PPV of 96 percent (see chart).
| Prevalence | PPV |
|---|---|
| 1 % | 70 % |
| 2 % | 83 % |
| 3 % | 88 % |
| 4 % | 91 % |
| 5 % | 93 % |
| 6 % | 94 % |
| 7 % | 95 % |
| 8 % | 95 % |
| 9 % | 96 % |
| 10 % | 96 % |
Sensivity of 99,4 %; specifity of 99.6 %
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Frequently Asked Questions
When can I take the test?
In principle, the test can be performed at any time and can be repeated.
The test involves the detection of IgG antibodies. These are formed after contact with the virus and are usually detectable in the blood after 14 days. We, therefore, recommend that the test is performed at the earliest 2 to 3 weeks after the onset of symptoms. If you have had no symptoms, a test may still be useful, as COVID-19 disease can also occur without symptoms.
What is the price for the test?
The price for the test is EUR 25,-. Costs for the blood collection may be added. The blood collection at CeGaT is free of charge. Please note that the medical report delivered will be in German.
For international customers: Please note that we currently can only accept international orders of 50 test kits or more.
Where can I get blood drawn?
Private individuals can contact their family doctor for blood collection. Important: Only barcoded sample tubes ordered from CeGaT can be used. Other tubes cannot be used and will be discarded.
CeGaT also offers a blood collection service on its premises (Mon-Fri from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., no appointment necessary). Please note that taking blood samples from children under the age of 14 may involve complications, and we may not be able to perform the collection. In this case, we would have to refer you to appropriately trained pediatricians. For companies, we offer a mobile blood collection service for their employees.
How long does the test take, and how do I get the result?
The test takes 1 to 3 days from sample receipt. You will receive the result by mail.
Does health insurance cover the costs?
For persons under German health insureance: At present, testing for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is not covered by public health insurance.
For privately insured persons, it may be possible to submit the invoice to the respective insurance company. Please speak to your insurance company about this.
What are the risks involved in taking blood samples?
There is no significant risk of infection or injury when taking a blood sample. In very rare cases, psychologically triggered circulatory problems may occur. Rarely a hematoma appears at the puncture site.
Can the test result be wrong?
The test we use has a sensitivity of 94.4 percent already 10 days after the onset of symptoms or detection of current disease through testing. This means that a false-negative result can occur in about 6 out of 100 tests. The sensitivity increases, the greater the time lag between the onset of the disease and the test.
The specificity of the test is 99.6 percent. This means that a false-positive result can occur in about 4 out of 1000 tests.
What is the payment procedure?
For national customers (Germany): When the test result is sent, the invoice will be mailed to you separately.
For international customers: After ordering the test kits, you will receive an advance invoice. The test kits will be shipped after payment.
Does a positive result imply that I should be quarantined?
No. In contrast to the direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 (by RT-PCR after throat swabbing), an antibody test does not detect a current but a past infection. Therefore, you do not have to go into quarantine if the antibody test is positive.
Do I need an appointment for the blood collection at CeGaT?
No, an appointment is not necessary.
Is the blood collection at CeGaT free of charge?
Yes, the blood collection at CeGaT is free of charge.
What is the current state of knowledge regarding immunity after a disease has been passed through?
Whether people with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are actually immune is the subject of current research. It is currently assumed that these persons are immune. This has been shown in numerous publications. A detailed overview can be found in the section “Current state of knowledge on immunity.”
Can I eat and drink before the blood collection?
Yes, you may eat normally before the blood is drawn. The blood sample does not have to be taken on an empty stomach.
How long is the data stored in the web portal and when is it deleted?
In the web portal, your results are available for 3 months and will afterwards be deleted.
If the test result is positive, is there some kind of certificate for submission to authorities, hotels, etc. or when travelling abroad?
You will receive a medical report showing your result. Please ask the respective authorities whether such a finding is accepted. There is currently no internationally standardized certificate.
What happens to the blood sample after the test?
The blood sample is disposed of immediately after the analysis and is not used for any other purpose. It is only examined for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Who gets to know the result of the test?
The result of the test will be known to three parties:
- CeGaT as the laboratory that conducts the test
- the customer who holds the portal account and can view the results of the samples he has sent in
- (if differing:) the patient whose blood was examined and who receives a printed report by mail.
All data are stored in Germany. You will find the data protection declaration for the corona test on the portal (at the very bottom) and here: https://www.cegat.de/datenschutz-corona/
What is the current state of knowledge regarding immunity after a past disease?
The chances of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 after recovery from COVID-19 are very high.
Current studies on immunity after past disease (as of June 18, 2020)
According to a study conducted at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on more than 1,300 recovered COVID-19 patients, over 99% of them have produced IgG antibodies. The number of antibodies produced was independent of age, sex, and severity of the disease. The ELISA test used also detects antibodies against the spike protein, which is our test’s target antigen. (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.30.20085613v1).
With the help of this test, Mount Sinai Hospital also identified potential plasma donors, whose plasma can be used to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients. (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.20.20102236v1.full.pdf+html)
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 proof that the patients’ antibodies can neutralize the novel coronavirus. (https://www.cell.com/immunity/pdf/S1074-7613(20)30181-3.pdf)
Studies at the French Institut Pasteur came to comparable results. From 160 previously positively tested clinic employees, antibodies against the spike protein could be detected in 159 persons after an average of 24 days. Also in this study, the function of the antibodies was checked in neutralization tests and confirmed in 98% of the samples. (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.19.20101832v2.full.pdf)
First data of a clinical Phase I/II study for the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows a clear correlation between the production of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, their neutralizing effect, and the protection against new infections in NHPs. (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.17.046375v1.full.pdf).
Early reports from South Korea regarding the recurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection are currently investigated by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.So far (as of May 27, 2020), no cultivable virus could be isolated from any of the 108 swabs that were again PCR-positive (after interim negative PCR tests). Only virus fragments were detected by PCR. Of the 790 people who were in close contact with the patients, none was infected with SARS-CoV-2. (https://www.cdc.go.kr/board/board.es?mid=a30402000000&bid=0030)
As of today (June 18, 2020), there is no case known to us in which a secondary infection has been proven by several valid test systems.
