Coronavirus: Antibody test lacks 'proper assessment'
Covid-19 antibodies tests for NHS and care staff are being rolled out without"adequate assessment", experts warn.the BMJLast month, the government said it had bought 10 million antibodies tests and asked NHS trusts and care homes to make them available to staff in England.
They normally show if someone - who has previously been unwell with a bug - has developed protection against future bouts of the illness.With the current laboratory tests, NHS England says, a positive result shows a person has had coronavirus. Nevertheless, health officials say gathering the results of these tests will help them understand more about the spread of disease.The group of scientists say as a positive result is unable to prove immunity, the tests offer"no benefit" to hospitals and care staff.The academics also suggest there is little data on how well the test works for people at highest risk - including people belonging to some ethnic minorities and older patients.
He added:"If used successfully, the data generated will be important surveillance information for understanding the effectiveness of control measures put in place."
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