Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in Telangana, who took two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, are now curious to know if their body has generated enough antibodies against coronavirus. This has brought them to diagnostic labs to undergo tests to know the level of antibodies. And since government hospitals currently do not have the resources to take up these tests, private labs are the only option.
The COVID vaccination drive in the State has begun on January 16. The first priority was given to Healthcare Workers (HCW), followed by Frontline Workers (FLWs). Currently, people who are 60 years or above, and those who are between 45-59 years with co-morbidities, were being given the shots.
The vaccines are administered in two doses with a gap of 28 days. The State Health department started to administer the second dose from February 13.
The curiosity to know the antibody levels started after taking the second dose. Director of Public Health Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao said earlier that antibodies would start developing starting from two weeks after the first dose and that beneficiaries would get foolproof protection by 42 days after the first dose.
Brand manager at Apollo Diagnostics V. Sravan Kumar said that earlier, they used to get around 120 samples a day to check for antibodies. “Now, we are getting around 250 samples a day. Also, a few opted to get the test done before taking the vaccine,” he said. They charge ₹499 per test.
Government hospital doctors said that having the requisite resources in government facilities would help them conduct studies for future.
