The initiative could provide insight into any groups of people who fail to develop an immune response (File)
London:
The UK government announced on Sunday the rollout of a new national antibody monitoring program, which will make free home antibody tests available to up to 8,000 COVID-positive people per day.
The UK Health Security Agency will offer these finger prick tests to help improve understanding of immunity to COVID-19 through vaccination and infection.
Under the scheme, from Tuesday anyone over the age of 18 will be able to apply to participate when booking a PCR COVID-19 test through the NHS Test and Trace system.
“Our new national antibody tests will be quick and easy to participate in, and by doing so you will help strengthen our understanding of COVID-19 as we gently return to more normal lives,” said UK Health Minister Sajid Javid .
“I am proud to see all parts of the UK uniting around this new initiative and working together to arm ourselves with even more valuable insights into how COVID-19 vaccines are protecting people in the UK,” he said.
The UK Health Security Agency said it will work with NHS Test and Trace testing services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to monitor levels of antibodies in positive cases in the UK.
The data collected will help estimate the proportion of those who have contracted COVID-19 despite developing antibodies as a result of having a vaccine or contracting the coronavirus earlier.
The initiative could also provide insight into any groups of people who fail to develop an immune response.
The UK Health Security Agency said it will use the data to inform its ongoing approach to COVID-19 and provide greater insight into the effectiveness of the vaccines against different variants.
“We are rolling out antibody testing in the UK to gather vital data on the impact of our vaccination program and on the immune response to different variants of COVID-19,” said Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK’s National Health Security agency.
“This innovative program is only possible because of the thousands of people who continue to help each week with research into the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments. The best way to protect yourself and those around you is to get vaccinated. I encourage everyone to those who haven’t come forward to book their first and second jabs,” she said.
All adults interested in the study will be encouraged to apply. Everyone who participates must undergo their first antibody test as soon as possible after receiving a positive PCR result, before the body has had time to generate a detectable antibody response to the current infection.
The first test will determine the level of antibodies a person had before their current infection.
The second test is due 28 days after a positive test for COVID-19 and will measure the antibodies generated in response to the infection.
By comparing the two antibody test results, the UK Health Security Agency says it can see how well-vaccinated individuals boost their immunity when infected and how this can vary with different variants.
However, the agency warned that testing positive for antibodies does not mean someone is immune to COVID-19 and that people should continue to abide by the rules, get tested if they have symptoms, and self-isolate if they are positive or have contact with a positive case. and have not received both vaccine doses, to prevent the virus from spreading.
“Our testing arsenal is stronger than ever as we roll out antibody testing to thousands of people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in addition to the massive testing capacity we have built, including our NHS Test and Trace system,” said Dr. Susan Hopkins, Public Health England’s (PHE) COVID-19 Strategic Response Director.
“Monitoring of antibody testing shows how health teams in the UK are committed to working together to find innovative ways to understand the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and address future treatments for COVID-19,” she said.
Antibodies are part of the body’s immune response to help fight infection and are generated after infection or after vaccination.
Antibody tests look for evidence of this immune response, while PCR and antigen tests tell a person if they have the virus at the time of the test.
Antibody testing aims to contribute to understanding the protection offered by vaccines as official figures in the UK show that 87 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 76 percent have second dose.
