UK approves new 100% accurate COVID-19 antibody test
A new 100% accurate COVID-19 antibody test has been approved for use in the UK, this could prove to be a game-changer.
The confirmation comes from the public health leaders, as Boris Johnson has previously called antibody testing a “game-changer”.
As being reported, the test is designed to help determine if a patient has had COVID-19 and whether they have developed antibodies against it.
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The detection of certain antibodies could help to indicate if a person has gained immunity against the virus.
According to the Public Health England (PHE), scientific experts at its Porton Down facility conducted an independent evaluation of the new blood test developed by a Swiss pharmaceutical company.
Professor John Newton, the national coordinator of the UK Coronavirus Testing Programme, said: “This is a very positive development because such a highly specific antibody test is a very reliable marker of past infection.
This, in turn, may indicate some immunity to future infection although the extent to which the presence of anti-bodies indicates immunity remains unclear.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in a statement said: “Antibody testing is an important part of our strategy to counter the spread of COVID-19 and to help us understand who has had the disease.
“In addition to the recent huge expansion of the UK’s swab-based coronavirus testing capacity, we are exploring the use of antibody testing across the NHS and ultimately the wider public.
We are delighted that devices are progressing through validation, and are actively working on our plans for rolling out antibody testing and will make announcements in due course.”
