For those desiring a relatively inexpensive serological (blood) test that is not for diagnosis of Covid-19, but instead can indicate whether their body has mounted an immune response to the new coronavirus, options in the Guadalajara and Chapala area are multiplying.
In the spring, diagnostic nasal and throat swabs (which reveal the viral infection via the polymerase chain reaction or PCR procedure) began to be offered at private labs in Guadalajara at 5,000 pesos or more. But the newer blood tests, approved for use in Mexico in mid-June and called anticuerpos (antibodies) IgG e IgM (immunoglobulin G and M) de coronavirus SARS-COV2 or something similar, are now available for a fraction of that price – 1,200 pesos ($US53) or less.
At least four Guadalajara private labs, one with a branch in Ajijic, offer serological tests at this writing and more seem to be springing up every day.
Sometimes lab websites say a doctor’s prescription is necessary, but phone calls indicate this is not the case. Some lab spokespersons stipulate that the test is not for people with current Covid-19 symptoms; others do not specify. Most experts state that blood antibody tests will not reveal a current infection and that one must wait a few days to two weeks after symptoms disappear for a blood antibody test to work accurately. In contrast, diagnostic swab tests are generally given only to people with symptoms.
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