The UK will deploy a national surveillance program to measure antibodies in people who test positive for COVID-19 to better understand people’s response to an infection.
The NHS will send antibody tests to anyone who tests positive for the virus if they decide to apply for the program.
It is about measuring the antibodies or proteins that the immune system uses to recognize and fight the virus in a person’s body. A person develops these antibodies in response to an infection or vaccination to fight the virus.
People who test positive for COVID-19 will be sent two finger prick tests.
It is intended to complete one immediately to determine if the person already has antibodies against the coronavirus. The second will be completed 28 days after infection to see how the body has reacted to the infection.
The government said it can provide domestic antibody testing for up to 8,000 people a day if they opt for the program.
“We are developing antibody testing across the UK to obtain vital data on the impact of our vaccination program and on immune responses to different variants of COVID-19,” said Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the ‘UK National Health Security Agency.
The UK government hopes the tests will help them understand the protection that vaccines offer. He is concerned that the immunity provided by the vaccine will decrease overtime
At least 87% of people aged 16 and over have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and 76% have had a second dose, the government said.
The UK reported 32,058 cases of COVID-19 and 104 deaths from the virus on Saturday.