Researchers claim accurate antibody tests that could tell if millions of people in the UK have already had coronavirus could be available within two weeks.
Zoe Drewett Monday 4 May 2020 7:58 am
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/04/100-accurate-antibody-tests-rolled-within-2-weeks-12649984/
Antibody tests will determine what percentage of the population is immune to coronavirus in order to determine how soon lockdown restrictions can be lifted (Picture: Getty/PA)
Swiss company Roche Diagnostics claims that it has created a test with 100% accuracy and could provide hundreds of thousands to the NHS every week.
Millions of early antibody tests – designed to indicate whether someone is now immune to the disease – were ordered by the UK Government but not a single one proved accurate enough to be used on a widescale.
The 3.5 million home finger-prick tests ordered by health secretary Matt Hancock did not meet the standards agreed with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), forcing the government to row back on claims that the tests would be ready to send out to the public last month.
Roche claims its lab-based ‘Elecsys’ test can spot 100% of people who have had the virus with no ‘false negatives’ at all. The tests aim to establish whether a person has developed antibodies to the Covid-19 virus, usually after being infected by the disease, and is therefore immune from being infected again.
Knowing the scale of those who have immunity from the virus will allow the Government to plan the route back to normality much sooner.
Boris Johnson will set out plans to ease the UK out of lockdown next Sunday, with the prime minister planning to tell Britain to prepare to return to work after giving business groups the first sight of new guidelines on how to get employees safely back into offices.
In a prime-time TV broadcast to the nation next Sunday evening, the Prime Minister will set out a timeline for when workplaces and schools will reopen.
Boris Johnson will set out his plan for easing lockdown in a TV broadcast next Sunday (Picture: PA)
Latest data shows the number of coronavirus deaths falling across the UK (Picture: gov.uk)
Shops, factories, warehouses and construction sites are expected to be told they can reopen following the spring bank holiday on May 25. Strict rules will have to be followed even if offices are reopening, with hot desking banned, office canteens having to stay closed and the lift capacity halved.
And in order to fire up the economy businesses who can’t enforce social distancing can still reopen as long as their staff are adequately protected with PPE or screens.
It comes as the UK announced 315 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, bringing total fatalities to 28,446 and putting the country on course to become the hardest hit in Europe.
Another UK research firm claims it has also developed a ‘fast and accurate’ coronavirus antibody test – but it fears the NHS could miss out amid interest in Europe for the tests.
Researchers for blood-screening company Quotient, based in Edinburgh, have developed a new test for whether people are immune to Covid-19 by spotting whether a person has developed antibodies to the disease.
The tests involve using serological screening machines – each has capacity for up to 3,000 tests a day and produces results in 35 minutes with 99.8% accuracy, scientists said.
The company says it has 12 screening machines available, with a further 20 expected to be ready by the end of the year, but it has already had talks with interested parties across Europe.
The UK is on track to become the worst hit country in Europe this week (Picture: gov.uk)
Quotient is calling for the UK and Scottish governments to begin talks so that the NHS might be able to benefit.
While the UK Government says it has laboratory capability to test for coronavirus immunity, it is currently being used for survey testing of existing blood samples and the capacity is not known.
It is also attempting to develop home testing kits, rather than requiring analysis in laboratories, but so far these have proved unreliable.
On Friday, Quotient received European regulatory approval for the MosaiQ serological screening machines with 100% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity, meaning there is a low chance of a misread or ‘false positive’.
Chief executive Franz Walt – who was managing director of a laboratory that developed the first diagnostic test for Sars in 2003 – said: ‘We are truly proud to have developed such a fast and accurate test.
‘This is an outstanding performance by our teams in both Edinburgh and Switzerland.
‘We now want to make sure that we can help as many people as possible as quickly as possible. ‘We have strong roots in the UK and want to speak to ministers there so MosaiQ can be used in the amazing national effort to tackle Coronavirus and relaunch the economy.
‘We realise ministers and the NHS are incredibly busy but are keen to talk given the strong interest from across Europe in the product.’
Ed Farrell, chief operating officer at the Edinburgh office, added: ‘We’re incredibly proud of all our work here in Scotland and Switzerland.
‘We’ve got such a rich history here and we hope we can now make a difference at this challenging time.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Health Protection Scotland, with key partners, explore all options around new antibody tests as they become available on the market.
‘The Scottish Government is working closely with the UK Government to ensure that everyone is able to access new antibody tests when they become available.
‘It is essential that any new tests are reliable, and time is needed to undertake rigorous evaluation so that there is confidence that tests are accurate.’
Roche Diagnostics said it is already ‘in dialogue’ with the NHS and the UK Government about a ‘phased roll-out of the test from mid-May’.
A spokesman added: ‘We will be able to provide hundreds of thousands of antibody tests to the UK per week.
‘Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on fully-automated equipment already widely installed by Roche Diagnostics at sites across the UK with results provided in 18 minutes.’
https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/04/100-accurate-antibody-tests-rolled-within-2-weeks-12649984/
SEE:
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/07/986-accuracy-covid-19-antibody-test-in.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/roche-and-quotient-antibody-testing-in.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-100-accurate-covid-19-antibody-test.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/100-accurate-antibody-tests-could-be.html
SEE:
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/07/986-accuracy-covid-19-antibody-test-in.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/roche-and-quotient-antibody-testing-in.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-100-accurate-covid-19-antibody-test.html
https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2020/05/100-accurate-antibody-tests-could-be.html
