Don't some antibody tests do this? I think antibody tests that detect antibodies to the nucleocapsid should be unaffected by the vaccines, which only spur resistance to the spike protein.

See the section called "Binding Antibody Tests" here:

https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/coronavirus/c...

This is true of some - but not all - of the vaccines. The whole inactivated virus vaccines contain more than the spike, but the mRNA and vector vaccines only contain the spike.

T-cell tests are available in some places now.

https://www.tspotcovid.com/

A test for antibodies against N protein will tell you if you had COVID or not.

Did you not get an antibody test at some point prior to the vaccine? That would have given you an answer with 99% certainty if you used a good one.

I think they are relatively expensive, ~$200. Probably worth it though.

We would need some form of official recognition of antibody tests though. Pretty sure most places that require vaccination don't accept antibody test results.

Antibody tests at the supermarket clinic here is $40. Unsure if that’s a crappy test or if any subsidy is provided. $40 vs $200 does seem like the usual EU vs US markup too I guess

Ah, not bad

Antibody tests have been widely made available for free across the developed world.

In NYC, for example, they've been available for free at a ton of different sites. It may always be as convenient or quick, but it's free.

I believe the Red Cross tests for the antibody when you give blood, as well.

Antibody tests were only widely available in July-August, so people who got COVID in Feb or March often didn't have high enough antibody counts by that point to flag positive on the tests.

That's not true.

The half-life of antibody levels has been estimated at 73 days. The antibody tests are quite sensitive, time has not been enough of a factor yet to produce false negatives. In a year or two it might be.

The only time concern is that you need to wait 2-3 weeks until after you recover from COVID to ensure you test positive.

[never mind]

The article is not advocating doing anything unsafe or otherwise endangering others. The scientific question is quite valid - do we have to use our limited vaccine supply to ensure all get two doses or can we save a dose on those who already had COVID and give it to someone who needs it?

First paragraph of the article: “Many people who’ve been infected with the coronavirus might be able to safely skip the second jab of any two-dose vaccine regimen, a growing number of studies suggest. These results could help to stretch scarce vaccine supplies and are already influencing vaccination policies in some countries.”

US might have enough for everyone, and wouldn’t it be also great if we didn’t need as many doses and could share with hard hit places like India? I see this as a net positive if true.

The US is in desperate need of people who are willing to take all the vaccines the government has purchased for us. What’s the shelf life on the mRNA products? Looks like Moderna’s lasts for six months in the freezer. Pfizer for 30 days on dry ice, another 30 days in a regular freezer?

Lots of doses are going to get tossed. Most the people who are going to get the shot have gotten it already.