T Cell COVID-19 Testing

T cell testing is available at all of our Alberta and Ontario locations, including Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Toronto/Vaughan. We hope to expand our services as it becomes available in other cities across Canada. This FDA EUA approved test is currently only offered through Ichor.

Ichor private testing is available a la carte at our offices, which means you just have to book a time slot, and then select and pay for your tests with a credit card on arrival at your appointment. Simply click below to book your 15-minute spot with Ichor!

Who Should Take The T-Detect™ T Cell Test?
 

The T Cell Test is recommended for those who:

• Believe they may have had COVID-19, but have not been tested for COVID-19.
• Are struggling with symptoms of long COVID and have never completed a PCR test.
• Feel they may have been exposed to COVID-19, even if they did not have symptoms, and did not get tested.
• Are unvaccinated and wish to confirm potential cellular immunity from prior exposure, or cross-reactive immunity from previous coronaviruses.
• Have scored zero on the antibody test (short term indicator), but suspect they may have had COVID-19 in the past.
• Suspect they have had a false negative for COVID-19.

Unlike other illnesses, such as the common cold, COVID-19 can leave lasting effects on any organ in the body. If you’ve been exposed to the virus, thorough memory T cell testing can help you to take care of your health going forward.

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What Are T Cells And Why Are They Important?

T cells are a type of white blood cell that develops in the bone marrow. They are a part of the immune system and typically help fight off infection and can also help fight against cancer by attaching themselves to infected cells in the body, such as tumour cells or virus-infected cells. T cells also help to attract other immune cells into the area. These are different from antibodies, which attach themselves to pathogens like viruses and bacteria and destroy them. By testing the cellular immune system, medical professionals can get additional components to the complete diagnosis with the goal of identifying potential natural immunity.

T cells have been discovered to remain active against SARS-CoV-2 infection and appear to provide resistance to re-infection, increasing the likelihood of natural immunity. T cell reactions against SARS-CoV-2 can be detected over a longer period than antibody titers. If for instance somebody is vaccinated and doesn’t show enough antibodies because of humoral immune deficiency syndrome or minimal antibody production below cut off, T cell responses are still detectable for vaccine confirmation. Many people’s cellular immune responses destroy the coronavirus before their antibodies are produced.

Memory T cell testing uses next-generation sequencing to aid in identifying individuals with an adaptive T cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2, indicating recent or prior infection.

T cells control the strength of the immune responses and detecting these reactive T cells can tell you conclusively if you’ve had a past COVID 19 infection. These results can further be detected for much longer than those of antigen testing. See scale below:

Presently only offered through Ichor Blood Services, book an early opportunity for T Cell test bookings starting March 7.

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What Do I Need To Do For A T Cell Test?

After your appointment is made, all you have to do is show up on time and give a blood sample. Upon arrival to the Ichor clinic, select which tests you would like, present government-issued photo ID, and a credit card for payment. To make the blood sample easier to collect, please wear short sleeves and drink a glass of water one hour before your appointment. Once your blood is drawn, it will be sent for testing and the results will be securely emailed to you 10 to 14 days later.

Book With Ichor Blood Services For Reliable Assessment Of T Cells

Ichor Blood Services have been doing antibody testing since the start of the pandemic and are very familiar with blood specimen collection, handling, and shipping requirements. Ichor Blood Services is experienced in administering various COVID-19 testing as well as conducting cancer screening, prenatal screening, Vitamin D testing, and general blood work. This extensive experience makes the team at Ichor ideal for collecting your specimen for this new T cell testing. 

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Sample Test Result

Protect your loved ones by staying up to date with medical advancements, and take your health back in your hands by scheduling a T Cell Detect™ COVID-19 test today. 

Important Disclaimer

Please note that this summary interpretation is provided by Ichor to assist in understanding your results, but is not to be misconstrued as confirmation of “immunity” nor as evidence to contravene public health measures implemented by the government, such as vaccine mandates, social distancing, or masking. Ichor is simply providing access to an otherwise unavailable private test and it is your responsibility to follow up with your physician or health care provider to discuss your results in detail.

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