I’M RELIEVED TO HAVE SOME IMMUNITY

DANIEL IMPERIALE says the £300 he spent on an antibody test was worth it for the ‘sense of security’.

‘Knowing that I definitely had the virus, so have some immunity to it, has stopped me feeling anxious when venturing out the house,’ says the 32-yearold who lives in West London.

‘When the time comes to get on the Tube and go back to work, I won’t feel as nervous because now I probably have protection against it.’

The marketing manager, left, visited The Private Harley Street Clinic in London two weeks ago for the blood test, nearly two months after recovering from suspected Covid-19.

‘I rarely get ill, so when I woke up with a fever of 39 degrees – and it didn’t shift for five days – I just knew I’d got it,’ he says.

‘I’d moved to London from New York in February, and I’d spent two weeks sightseeing in central London, mixing closely with lots of tourists, so it was unsurprising that I’d caught it.

‘I checked the Government website and saw I had all the symptoms on the checklist.’

Thankfully, his illness passed after five days of bed rest but he was never officially diagnosed. When he read about the private antibody test that might tell him for sure, he signed up immediately.

Two weeks ago, he went for an hour-long appointment, in which the nurse took a sample of blood, and a week later the results arrived by email.

‘I’d tested positive and had antibodies, which meant I had some level of immunity,’ says Daniel. ‘I felt an immediate sense of relief. But I am sensible and I know that there’s no guarantees.

‘I’m still keeping my two-metre distance and hand-washing.’