UK COVID antibody research (Imperial/DHSC et al)

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Just signed up as a volunteer for the DHSC/Imperial antibody research programme, having got the letter yesterday asking me to do so.

I think NS said on another thread that he was doing it (and had already received the kit, so a few weeks ahead of me).

Anyone else? Might be interesting to compare notes.

I think NS said you had to extract blood via a pin prick in a finger - reminds me of the Theranos scandal!

[Capybara]

I've been registered with UK Biobank for years and occasionally get asked to do stuff. I did an antibody test the other day. It was straightforward enough.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Just signed up as a volunteer for the DHSC/Imperial antibody research programme, having got the letter yesterday asking me to do so.

I think NS said on another thread that he was doing it (and had already received the kit, so a few weeks ahead of me).

Anyone else? Might be interesting to compare notes.

I think NS said you had to extract blood via a pin prick in a finger - reminds me of the Theranos scandal!

The test I took the other day was, slightly surprisingly, organised by the Child of the New Century, a longitudinal study that my son has been part of since 2000 and which his parents occasionally get roped into, in this instance as a result of some sort of COVID diversion that it's taking.

I think I did an Imperial-linked antibody test last year, but I'm starting to get rather befuddled by all the tests I've taken or been invited to do so.

I'm not sure that the blood-extraction method was exactly via a pin prick. It's a bit more of a narrow scalpel than a pin, if that isn't too off-putting.

[lambers]

I did the Imperial antibody test late last year, and that was literally a pin prick, they only needed one drop of blood on the censor.

NS's recent test as described sounds horrific. I felt a little faint from the two-three drops of blood I actually lost so would likely struggle with the larger amount.

But my constitution is not great in these matters. I went to give blood once, but they abandoned after less than a minute as my arm started going numb and I felt light headed.

[jdsx]

Like Capybara I've been in the UK Biobank for a long time and was involved in their Covid trial. It involved doing monthly blood samples much like NS described.... I did have one or two examples of the blood clotting rather too quickly to get the required volume, and another where I couldn't stop the blood gushing out. I guess there's a happy medium somewhere... ;-)

[gjw100]

I received my invitation in the post yesterday and my wife received hers this morning. I'm a little put off by the palaver that she had to go through when taking the antibody test last year (identical to that described by NS in another thread), but it's obviously a very worthwhile piece of research, so we shall both sign up.