The EBV test is a blood test. During the test, blood is drawn at your doctor’s office, or at an outpatient clinical laboratory (or hospital lab). Blood is drawn from a vein, usually on the inside of your elbow.
The procedure involves the following steps:
The puncture site is cleaned with an antiseptic.
An elastic band is wrapped around your upper arm to make your vein swell with blood.
A needle is gently inserted into your vein to collect blood in an attached vial or tube.
The elastic band is removed from your arm.
The blood sample is sent to a lab for analysis.
Very little (or even zero) antibodies may be found early in the illness. Therefore, the blood test may need to be repeated in 10 to 14 days.