What kind of tests are done on blood that is donated to be used for transfusions? I read that it takes up to 6 months for antibodies to show up after infection. The western blot is one of the tests used to detect these antibodies. What test is used and if it’s to detect the antibodies instead of the antigen then how safe is donar blood? Thanks.
Crystal that’s what I mean. The ELISA and western blot both detect the antibodies which may not show up accurately for 6 months after infection. An antigen test is the only test that detects the virus itself.