“I took a Coronavirus (Covid-19) Antibody Test in Prague”

Many of us may have contracted Coronavirus (Covid-19) and not experienced any symptoms. Was that slight cough you had just a cough or was it Covid-19? Luckily there is a laboratory in Prague that will test for that.

The place I visited is called EUC Laboratories and is on Palackého 5, Prague 1 not far from the Vodičkova Tram Stop. They have a walk-in antibody test clinic, with hours 12 noon to 3 pm Monday to Friday.

They offer two tests; a prick-your-finger instant test, that offers less certainty for 1000 Kč, or a blood-from-your-arm definitive test, with results back in a few days for 1500 Kč. I’ve no idea why anyone would choose the 1000 Kč test.

Finding the Lab

Take the tram to Vodičkova. Walk toward Václavské náměstí, then turn left down Palackého Street. Halfway down, on the right, is an entrance marked Poliklinika. Go in.

As you enter, there is a long corridor.

Keep walking toward the light at the end – starting to sound like Dungeons and Dragons or Poltergeist now!

Go through the doors.

Ahead is Františkánská zahrada – that great hidden garden right in the centre. Turn sharp right into a passage that looks like this:

Ignore the first entrance with the queue barrier – go straight to the end. The entrance to the lab looks like this:

 

I arrived at 11.45 am and there were already three people waiting. By noon there were around eight people behind me.

Complete the Forms

A nurse in full hazmat gear stepped out from the automatic entrance door and handed out personal details/consent forms – you can ask for a form in English. They offer pens, but you should really bring your own pen to be safe. There isn’t a flat surface where you can rest your form.

The form asks how you would like to receive your result – I chose my email address.

Taking the Test

Only one person is allowed in at a time. Once inside, they check your forms and you have to show some form of ID. None of the staff spoke much English, but I could tell that I was being asked which test I wanted – so I took the easy way out and said ’tisíc pět set’.

I then sat in a chair, rolled up my sleeve, made a fist and the nurse took a phial of blood from my arm. It was painless and the nurse was clearly competent – no issues finding a vein and no big blotchy mark left.

Paying

I paid with a UK credit card. The machine offered a choice of CZK or GBP. As always I chose CZK – never choose GBP as the exchange rate will be rubbish.

Leaving

As you leave, the person waiting outside can enter.

A good experience

This was a good experience. I’d recommend it to anyone who would like to discover if they have the IgG antibodies that signal that you have recovered from Covid-19 – and hopefully have gained a certain degree of immunity to it.

The EUC Laboratories webpage for Covid-19 testing.

The lab also offers walk-in blood tests from 7.30 – 11.30 am. For example, a PSA test, which is a good indication of a healthy prostate, costs 375 Kč. I guess you could ask for all sorts of tests; cholesterol, liver function etc. You can’t have a Covid-19 test in the morning.