ZURICH: As Europe gingerly eases its coronavirus lockdowns, many governments are scrambling to buy antibody tests to find out how many of their ...
ZURICH: As Europe gingerly eases its coronavirus lockdowns, many governments are scrambling to buy antibody tests to find out how many of their citizens were infected, in the hope that will help them craft strategies to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
"Their ability to inform us remains simply too uncertain for them to be part of an easing strategy," he said, referring to the relaxation of restrictions, such as on free movement. "Availability was questionable so we couldn’t continue down that road," THL's chief researcher Arto Palmu told Reuters, adding initial assessments of the accuracy of its domestic version judged it"at least as good" as commercial options.Antibody tests are designed to detect immune-system proteins that people develop in response to an infection, and which typically are a sign of some protection against catching the disease again.
Italy's DiaSorin has said its Liason XL test has 97.4 per cent sensitivity and 98.5 per cent specificity.Denmark, one of Europe's first countries to re-open schools, on Monday started its first antibody study, which includes testing 2,600 people, using a kit from China's Wantai.Italy has picked Abbott to supply 150,000 kits.
A Siemens Healthineers spokesman said there were currently several large national tenders for mass antibody testing ongoing in which the company was participating.In Hungary, for instance, a government spokesman said on Thursday it had no information about plans to do broad antibody testing. Some, such as Chile, have floated the idea that"immunity passports" - potentially allowing free movement - could be issued to those who have had COVID-19 and recovered, given they may be protected from re-infection.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Seoul sees COVID-19 tests surge after promising anonymitySEOUL: Coronavirus screening has surged in South Korea since authorities introduced anonymous testing, officials said Wednesday (May 13), as they ...
Read more »
Vietnam determined to save British pilot, avoid its first COVID-19 deathVietnam has mounted an all-out effort to save the life of its most critically ill novel coronavirus patient, a British pilot who works for Vietnam ...
Read more »
Commentary: COVID-19 will usher in the industrial robotsAs companies remain under pressure to protect the health of their staff, automation is certain to have an enhanced role, says the Financial Times' ...
Read more »
Pet adoption to get more support amid COVID-19 pandemic: MNDSINGAPORE: Ways to make pet adoption easier amid safe distancing measures are set to roll out by end of May, according to the National Development ...
Read more »
Contagion actor Matt Damon reveals stepdaughter contracted COVID-19 ‘early on’Damon, his wife and their young children are currently quarantined in Ireland while his oldest daughter is in college in the US.
Read more »
UK rejects calls to publish detailed data of care-home deaths from COVID-19LONDON: Campaigners for the welfare of elderly people and their relatives are calling on the UK government to be more transparent after ...
Read more »