Are coronavirus antibody tests the way back to ‘normality’?
Video Credit: Yahoo Style - Duration: 02:23s - Published
Are coronavirus antibody tests the way back to ‘normality’?

Are coronavirus antibody tests the way back to ‘normality’?

Boris Johnson has described coronavirus antibody tests as potentially being “game changing” in the fight against the pandemic.

Antibodies are proteins released by the immune system in response to an infection.

Once the infection has passed, memory antibodies circulate at low levels in the bloodstream.

If the immune system picks up on the same infection, it ramps up production of memory antibodies, preventing the virus or bacterium from taking hold again.

Health secretary Matt Hancock has said an accurate antibody test could be an “important milestone”, allowing people who have overcome the coronavirus to go back to their normal routine, without having to maintain social distancing.

Experts have stressed, however, we do know to what extent antibodies protect against the coronavirus or how long immunity may last.

A study review into trials assessing coronavirus antibody tests concluded many were small and of dubious quality.

For now, antibody testing may be a “nice to know” for people who are wondering whether they had the infection but no symptoms.

0
shares
 


Tweets about this

alexa_warrior

Revolution will be live “34% of housekeeping staff came back positive compared with only 15% of staff working in intensive care. Such insig… https://t.co/9ykzFK7Vvr 3 hours ago

jpsolihull

jpsolihull Richter’s study, in which she tested 516 healthcare workers for Covid-19 antibodies: 34% of housekeeping staff came… https://t.co/rNSWiTTDDd 5 hours ago

HonorataER

cryptid aesthetic 🐊 @runphoebe1 That said my understanding is that there's enough crossover between some coronaviruses that cause colds… https://t.co/59sKUBlmi9 20 hours ago

cjs3872

Charles @JosephSakran @fred_guttenberg @CDCDirector Which, if true, verifies what @NYGovCuomo stated a couple of months bac… https://t.co/Sh5tH5TGlc 20 hours ago

AiMMoves

𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚜 RT @OpenOrphan: We recently signed an exclusive contract to support @QuotientHQ antibody tests in the UK via our @hVIVO_UK unit which has… 22 hours ago

MasaccioEW

Ed Walker 🍞🌹 It's vital that “people who have agreed to be tested and come back positive are not disadvantaged in any way compar… https://t.co/G5LeZE8p5I 23 hours ago

shane_r

Shane Rae After buying 17 million useless test kits back in April, #deathminister Matt Hancock buys 10 million more only to f… https://t.co/06OXvMgDqX 1 day ago

GlenBrito2

Glen Brito @GovMurphy it is illegal to force employees to take antibody tests. 🤣😂If your employer says that you have to get t… https://t.co/5UToerBCWJ 2 days ago