UW employees and doctoral candidates will have a chance to undergo free of charge tests for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM, and IgG). It will be possible to get tested as of 29th June to 26th September.
On 16th June, the UW rector, Prof. Marcin Pałys had announced that soon at the University of Warsaw there will be a possibility to sign up for free of charge tests for COVID-19 antibodies. On 24th June, UW has signed an agreement with Warsaw Genomics, which will carry out antibody tests to identify people who have had SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. UW employees and doctoral candidates are the groups at UW which will have the possibility to get tested.
IgM and IgG antibodies
Serology testing for SARS-CoV-2 is at increased demand to better quantify the number of cases of COVID-19, including those that may be asymptomatic or have recovered. Serologic tests are ELISA-based tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in serum or plasma components of blood.
These tests detect antibodies produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 and minimize cross-reactivity to antibodies generated to other common coronaviruses that cause less severe illnesses, e.g. colds.
- Antibody Test for IgG
These antibodies indicate that a person may have had COVID-19 in the recent past and has developed antibodies that may protect them from future infection.
- Antibody Test for IgM
Antibody Test for IgM indicates that a person may have been infected not less than the 2-3 weeks before taking blood and that their immune system has started responding to the virus. When IgM is detected, a person may still be infected, or they may have recently recovered from the COVID-19 infection.
How to get tested – the procedure
A blood sample (2 ml) is needed to undergo the test. The blood collection facility will be located on the Ochota Campus, in the building of the Sports and Recreation Centre, in a separate room with a separate entrance.
Antibody tests are not used to diagnose someone with an active infection. For the safety of UW employees, it is very important that people with symptoms of infection or after contact with an infected person do not report to a blood collection facility,” says Małgorzata Kiljańska from Warsaw Genomics.
A discount code, which entitles employees and doctoral candidates of the University of Warsaw to get tested free of charge, can be downloaded from covid.uw.edu.pl.
- After receiving the code, register at warsawgenomics.pl/badaniadlauw, and arrange an appointment via the form at warsaw-genomics.reservio.com, choosing a specific date and time.
- Tests will be carried out on business days from 29th June to 26th September (inclusive) between 8:00 and 18:00. A person should come to the blood collection facility wearing a protective mask on, with their ID and test order number, which will be generated during registration.
- The test result will be available within four days at wyniki.warsawgenomics.pl.