Antibody tests offered to UK public for first time

pharmafile | August 23, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing  

Antibody tests are to be made widely available to the public for the first time in a new government scheme aimed at understanding natural protection following a COVID-19 infection.

From Tuesday anyone over the age of 18 will be able to opt in when having a PCR test, of those who test positive, up to 8,000 will be sent two home antibody tests.

The first of the finger-prick tests would have to be done as soon as possible after the positive result, so the body would not have time to generate a detectable antibody response to the infection.

The second would be taken 28 days later and measure antibodies generated in response to the infection.

The UK Health Security Agency is to run the programme and will work alongside NHS test and trace services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to use results to monitor levels of antibodies in positive cases.

The Department of Health said as well as helping it improve understanding about antibody protection, the scheme could give information about any groups of people who did not develop an immune response after getting coronavirus.

Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said: “It is vital that we have the fullest understanding possible of vaccine effectiveness and the immune response of the broader population.

“The rollout of this antibody testing study will help us achieve this and could play an important role in the battle to keep the virus under control.”

Kat Jenkins

 

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