Antibodies are proteins that the body produces in response to foreign bodies, such as viruses, that the body does not recognize. COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2; therefore, once we have been exposed to this virus, it is normal for us to develop an immune response to the disease: COVID-19.

There are now tests on the market that detect these antibodies to determine if we have been exposed to this virus, regardless of whether or not we had symptoms. However, there is still not enough evidence to determine whether having antibodies gives us immunity that protects us from a second infection (also called reinfection). The latter is very important because there is a belief that once we have been infected we can resume our normal life, but this is not the case. Even if we develop immunity to the virus, we must remember that there are other ways to infect other people without having to be sick ourselves. By touching contaminated surfaces and not washing our hands, we can infect other surfaces with the virus and thus infect other people.

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This is why it is important that we follow the universal recommendations of staying home unless necessary, keeping a healthy distance from others, washing our hands well, and wearing a mask. Finally, remember that if you take an antibody test and it comes out negative, it does not mean that you do not have COVID-19. An antibody test will be positive after you have recovered from COVID-19, not during the illness. If you have symptoms and/or suspect that you have COVID-19, you need to have a test to detect the disease (PCR).