Coronavirus: NHS and social care staff to get antibody tests from next week, Matt Hancock to announce
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus: NHS and social care staff to get antibody tests from next week, Matt Hancock to announce

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy NHS and social care staff will be able to get antibody tests from next week, which will reveal if they have previously had coronavirus. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is expected to announce plans to roll out newly approved blood tests to frontline workers at the Downing Street press conference on Thursday. However, Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS England medical director, warned against reliance on antibody tests at the Downing Street press conference on Wednesday. “Because until we are absolutely sure about the relationship between the positive antibody tests and immunity, I think we as scientists would say we need to tread cautiously.” Asked whether everyone will get access to an antibody test through the NHS, Professor Powis said: “When I say it is the early phase of these tests and where we will use them first, is in health, and probably social care settings for patients, obviously, but also for staff in those settings where it is most important that we understand about infection.” Public Health England has approved several antibody tests for widespread use, including one by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche.

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History of this topic

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice
2 years, 9 months ago

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice

LA Times  

A woman is tested for a coronavirus infection at the Lenasia South Hospital near Johannesburg in South Africa. The advice comes months after critics said the lack of recommendations from the global health agency was compromising efforts to stop the pandemic in poor countries. At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was concerned …

Antibody tests for COVID-19 remain popular in Russia
3 years, 3 months ago

Antibody tests for COVID-19 remain popular in Russia

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There are different counting methods.” But Western health experts …

Russians flock to antibody tests; West notes tool’s limit
3 years, 3 months ago

Russians flock to antibody tests; West notes tool’s limit

Associated Press  

MOSCOW — When Russians talk about the coronavirus over dinner or in hair salons, the conversation often turns to “antitela,” the Russian word for antibodies — the proteins produced by the body to fight infection. There are different counting methods.” But Western health experts say the antibody tests so popular in Russia are unreliable either for diagnosing COVID-19 or assessing …

Antibody Tests Should Not Be Your Go-To For Checking COVID Immunity
3 years, 4 months ago

Antibody Tests Should Not Be Your Go-To For Checking COVID Immunity

NPR  

Antibody Tests Should Not Be Your Go-To For Checking COVID Immunity Enlarge this image toggle caption Naveen Sharma/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Naveen Sharma/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Booster shots against the coronavirus have already started rolling out in the U.S. for some people and millions more could be due for them soon. Sponsor Message Unlike other COVID-19 tests that are used …

UK must not take its ‘eye off the ball’ as Covid could roar back, experts warn
3 years, 4 months ago

UK must not take its ‘eye off the ball’ as Covid could roar back, experts warn

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK must not take its “eye off the ball” with …

Positive coronavirus tests soar to 5,475 as ministers ponder tighter rules
3 years, 6 months ago

Positive coronavirus tests soar to 5,475 as ministers ponder tighter rules

Dutch News  

The number of positive coronavirus tests soared to 5,475 in the 24 hours to Thursday morning, leaving the government considering bringing back some of the measures which were abandoned last month. Although the rise in positive tests has not yet translated into an increase in hospital admissions, ‘things are going fast’, health minister Hugo de Jonge said in an initial …

Positive coronavirus tests soar to 5,475 as ministers ponder tighter rules
3 years, 6 months ago

Positive coronavirus tests soar to 5,475 as ministers ponder tighter rules

Dutch News  

The number of positive coronavirus tests soared to 5,475 in the 24 hours to Thursday morning, leaving the government considering bringing back some of the measures which were abandoned last month. Although the rise in positive tests has not yet translated into an increase in hospital admissions, ‘things are going fast’, health minister Hugo de Jonge said in an initial …

Can I get an NHS coronavirus test if I don’t have symptoms?
3 years, 10 months ago

Can I get an NHS coronavirus test if I don’t have symptoms?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

New treatment could offer immediate protection to people who have been exposed to Covid-19
4 years ago

New treatment could offer immediate protection to people who have been exposed to Covid-19

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists are trialling an antibody treatment for Covid sufferers that …

Coronavirus: Hospitals told not to test staff or patients for Covid-19
4 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus: Hospitals told not to test staff or patients for Covid-19

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy NHS hospitals have been banned from launching their own coronavirus testing …

Millions in US have taken antibody tests - but scientists don't know what results mean
4 years, 4 months ago

Millions in US have taken antibody tests - but scientists don't know what results mean

Daily Mail  

At the height of the coronavirus lockdown, President Donald Trump and his top health advisers trumpeted a new test that would help Americans reclaim their lives - one that would tell them if they already had the virus and were protected from getting it again. It's not clear how many antibody tests have been administered nationwide - some 1.5 million …

August 31 coronavirus news
4 years, 4 months ago

August 31 coronavirus news

CNN  

Many frontline health care workers who care for Covid-19 patients may be infected and not even know it, researchers led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. “A high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare personnel appear to go undetected,” the team at academic medical centers across the country, including the CDC Covid-19 Response Team, wrote in …

Coronavirus: Ministers accused of 'negligence' towards care home residents and staff
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Ministers accused of 'negligence' towards care home residents and staff

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ministers have been accused of being “negligent” towards care home residents …

Coronavirus: 15 staff at a large NHS trust test positive for Covid-19
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: 15 staff at a large NHS trust test positive for Covid-19

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fifteen employees at a large NHS trust have tested positive for …

Blood samples taken from New Yorkers reveal some had coronavirus antibodies in February
4 years, 6 months ago

Blood samples taken from New Yorkers reveal some had coronavirus antibodies in February

Daily Mail  

Blood samples taken from New Yorkers reveal some antibodies against the novel coronavirus much earlier than previously believed, a study suggests. Coronavirus antibodies were detected in about 2.3% of samples for the week ending on February 23, with 1.4% in one group and 0.9% in another group This means the virus was likely circulating in New York as early as …

Hype and science collide as FDA tries to rein in ‘wild West’ of COVID-19 blood tests
4 years, 7 months ago

Hype and science collide as FDA tries to rein in ‘wild West’ of COVID-19 blood tests

LA Times  

“Save your business while saving lives,” reads the website of Because Health, a Seattle tech start-up selling two types of tests to employers willing to pay $350 a pop to learn whether their workers have been infected with COVID-19. The company’s “Workplace Health” plan includes not only nasal swab tests to detect infection, but also blood tests aimed at determining …

HALF of coronavirus antibody finger-prick tests are unreliable, study of nine finds
4 years, 7 months ago

HALF of coronavirus antibody finger-prick tests are unreliable, study of nine finds

Daily Mail  

A new investigation reveals that several antibody tests for the novel coronavirus currently on the market are unreliable. ABC News and the Mayo Clinic looked at nine tests that use a drop of a blood from a finger prick to see if someone has immune-fighting cells against the virus. Four of nine coronavirus antibody finger prick tests failed to meet …

Getting An Antibody Test For The Coronavirus? Here's What It Won't Tell You
4 years, 7 months ago

Getting An Antibody Test For The Coronavirus? Here's What It Won't Tell You

NPR  

Getting An Antibody Test For The Coronavirus? Here's What It Won't Tell You Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Hennessy/Echoes WIre/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Paul Hennessy/Echoes WIre/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Salvador Perez got really sick in April. Enlarge this image toggle caption Sheila Perez Sheila Perez "He's anxious that he doesn't want to get sick. Some people also …

Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight: ‘Game-changer’ antibody test subject to scrutiny as eleventh hour London Tube rescue deal to cause fare hike
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight: ‘Game-changer’ antibody test subject to scrutiny as eleventh hour London Tube rescue deal to cause fare hike

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Last week, a new antibody test developed by Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche, touted by the …

Coronavirus: ‘100% accurate’ antibody test approved for use in UK for first time
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus: ‘100% accurate’ antibody test approved for use in UK for first time

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A test to check whether a person has previously had coronavirus …

Exclusive: First coronavirus antibody test given approval by Public Health England
4 years, 7 months ago

Exclusive: First coronavirus antibody test given approval by Public Health England

The Telegraph  

UPDATE: Since this article was posted, published results of PHE's evaluation of the Roche test show that although 100% of negative samples accurately came back as negative, 16% of samples taken from people who had had the virus did not show up as positive. A coronavirus antibody test kit has been approved by Public Health England, The Telegraph has learned, …

Antibody tests could lead to job discrimination and workers playing ‘Russian roulette’
4 years, 7 months ago

Antibody tests could lead to job discrimination and workers playing ‘Russian roulette’

CNN  

London CNN Business — As the coronavirus pandemic plunges economies around the world into recession, governments and businesses are scrambling to find ways to get people back to work. “At the moment it can be possible for employers or people to get hold of antibody tests which haven’t been proven to be sensitive or specific,” said Dr. Natasha Hochberg, an …

Coronavirus: Rollout of antibody tests met with confusion, little oversight
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: Rollout of antibody tests met with confusion, little oversight

CNN  

CNN — Public health experts, including members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, have argued accurate Covid-19 antibody tests can support efforts to get Americans back to work by determining who may have overcome the virus. States concerned by accuracy of antibody tests Antibody test data “are of dubious reliability; we are not tracking or analyzing them,” a spokesperson …

Dutch have one million tests to check for coronavirus immunity
4 years, 8 months ago

Dutch have one million tests to check for coronavirus immunity

Dutch News  

The Netherlands has a million blood tests at its disposal to find out if people have immunity to coronavirus, blood bank organisation Sanquin has confirmed. The tests were ordered together with the health ministry from China and measure three different types of antibodies, which makes them extra useful, the government’s testing representative Feike Sijbesma told broadcaster NOS. ‘Because it is …

Coronavirus: UK in talks over rollout of antibody test with near-100% accuracy rate, says Hancock
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: UK in talks over rollout of antibody test with near-100% accuracy rate, says Hancock

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK is in talks with pharmaceutical giant Roche on a …

Coronavirus: ‘Fast and accurate’ antibody test developed by Edinburgh researchers
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: ‘Fast and accurate’ antibody test developed by Edinburgh researchers

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A blood-screening company claims it has developed a “fast and accurate” …

FDA Cracks Down On Antibody Tests For Coronavirus
4 years, 8 months ago

FDA Cracks Down On Antibody Tests For Coronavirus

NPR  

FDA Cracks Down On Antibody Tests For Coronavirus Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP The Food and Drug Administration is stiffening its rules to counteract what some have called a Wild West of antibody testing for the coronavirus. Sponsor Message Now the FDA is telling manufacturers that if they want their tests to remain on the market, …

Coronavirus antibody tests are still a work in progress
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus antibody tests are still a work in progress

LA Times  

After hearing for months about serious access issues involving tests that diagnose COVID-19 based on swabs from the nose or throat, Americans are being inundated with reports about promising new tests that look for signs of coronavirus infection in the blood. “You may even miss some infected people completely.” Other tests may flag people as positive for COVID-19 when they’re …

Coronavirus antibody tests have ‘really terrible’ accuracy, researcher says
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus antibody tests have ‘really terrible’ accuracy, researcher says

CNN  

CNN — Some antibody tests, which check for prior Covid-19 infection, had high rates of false positives in screenings performed by a consortium of California laboratories, according to a recently released report. Of the 12 antibody tests that were studied by the COVID-19 Testing Project, one of the tests gave false positives more than 15% of the time, or in …

Coronavirus: US report identifies most accurate antibody tests
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: US report identifies most accurate antibody tests

Daily Mail  

A new study of coronavirus antibody tests that are currently on the market revealed that at least eight out of 14 had an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent and three of those were more than 99 percent accurate, but doctors remain concerned that more work needs to be done before they can be solely relied upon to restart …

Antibody Tests Go To Market Largely Unregulated, Warns House Subcommittee Chair
4 years, 8 months ago

Antibody Tests Go To Market Largely Unregulated, Warns House Subcommittee Chair

NPR  

Antibody Tests Go To Market Largely Unregulated, Warns House Subcommittee Chair Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP Coronavirus antibody tests have garnered attention from officials as a potential tool to evaluate people's immunity to the illness. Krishnamoorthi said that federal officials have told his subcommittee that companies selling antibody tests can go one of two routes as …

Roche CEO Severin Schwan Calls Some Covid-19 Antibody Tests 'A Disaster'
4 years, 8 months ago

Roche CEO Severin Schwan Calls Some Covid-19 Antibody Tests 'A Disaster'

News 18  

Some blood tests being marketed to tell people if they have had the new coronavirus are a “disaster”, Roche Chief Executive Severin Schwan said on Wednesday as he prepares to launch the drugmaker’s own antibody test next month. Roche’s diagnostics business has moved out of the shadow of its main medicines unit during the pandemic, as the Swiss pharma giant …

Coronavirus: Minister admits low number of tests carried out is ‘really troubling’ and hints at mistakes
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: Minister admits low number of tests carried out is ‘really troubling’ and hints at mistakes

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The care minister has admitted the low number of coronavirus tests …

New York Starts 'Aggressive' Coronavirus Antibody Testing In Quest To Reopen Economy
4 years, 8 months ago

New York Starts 'Aggressive' Coronavirus Antibody Testing In Quest To Reopen Economy

NPR  

New York Starts 'Aggressive' Coronavirus Antibody Testing In Quest To Reopen Economy Enlarge this image toggle caption Hannah A. Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/AP Hannah A. Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/AP New York has begun "the most aggressive" statewide antibody testing to help determine how much of the population has been infected by and recovered from the coronavirus — a step health officials say …

WHO unsure antibodies protect against COVID-19, as countries roll out coronavirus testing
4 years, 8 months ago

WHO unsure antibodies protect against COVID-19, as countries roll out coronavirus testing

ABC  

The World Health Organisation is not sure whether the presence of antibodies in blood gives full protection against reinfection with the new coronavirus. Key points: Countries, including Australia, are rolling out antibody testing for COVID-19 But the WHO says there is no evidence these tests show that those tested are immune or protected from reinfection It says there is little …

Coronavirus antibody tests are almost impossible to get. Meet three L.A. residents who got them
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus antibody tests are almost impossible to get. Meet three L.A. residents who got them

LA Times  

Jake Warner came down with something in late February, but he wasn’t sure with what. “An imperfect test works fine in a research study because in the analysis you can sort of account for that inaccuracy, but when you’re dealing with an individual patient, you have to be right,” said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the county Department …

What we know about the state of coronavirus treatments, vaccines and antibody tests
4 years, 8 months ago

What we know about the state of coronavirus treatments, vaccines and antibody tests

CNN  

CNN — As the US begins to discuss reopening the country, health experts and officials see the development of coronavirus tests, treatments and preventative strategies as crucial to taking the first step towards normalcy. Here’s what we know about where possible coronavirus treatments, vaccines and antibody tests stand. Antibody testing Antibody tests are often cited as key to returning to …

The FDA authorizes 2 more coronavirus antibody tests
4 years, 8 months ago

The FDA authorizes 2 more coronavirus antibody tests

CNN  

CNN — The US Food and Drug Administration issued emergency-use authorizations Wednesday for two new coronavirus antibody tests. Still, experts say the antibody tests can be helpful in understanding how widespread coronavirus really is, since they should be able to detect past infections, even if someone had few or no symptoms. Abbott’s IgG antibody test will initially be available on …

Scientists have bad news about coronavirus antibody tests
4 years, 8 months ago

Scientists have bad news about coronavirus antibody tests

CNN  

CNN — In a phone call last week, some of the nation’s top scientists briefed White House officials about antibody testing, according to two doctors who were on the call. Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, has called such tests “critical.” The test can help determine if someone is immune to coronavirus, “and that’s …

Coronavirus: Doctors urge government to approve plasma therapy trials for Covid-19 patients
4 years, 8 months ago

Coronavirus: Doctors urge government to approve plasma therapy trials for Covid-19 patients

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Frustrated doctors are urging the government to approve plasma therapy trials …

UK turns to private sector to boost virus testing capacity
4 years, 9 months ago

UK turns to private sector to boost virus testing capacity

Al Jazeera  

Millions of coronavirus tests will be distributed in the United Kingdom in the coming months, officials have pledged, following criticism that the government has moved too slowly. After England’s chief medical officer conceded on Tuesday that there were lessons to be learned from Germany on testing, the Conservative government is again turning to the country’s private sector, saying it aimed …

Dutch ramp up testing to 17,500 a day, launch project to assess coronavirus spread
4 years, 9 months ago

Dutch ramp up testing to 17,500 a day, launch project to assess coronavirus spread

Dutch News  

The number of coronavirus tests carried out in the Netherlands will expand considerably from Monday as local health boards start testing hospital staff, and the public health institute RIVM and blood bank Sanquin begin a project to find out how far the virus has spread. From today, however, health boards are poised to start testing hospital staff at ‘drive in’ …

Dutch ramp up testing to 17,500 a day, launch project to assess coronavirus spread
4 years, 9 months ago

Dutch ramp up testing to 17,500 a day, launch project to assess coronavirus spread

Dutch News  

The number of coronavirus tests carried out in the Netherlands will expand considerably from Monday as local health boards start testing hospital staff, and the public health institute RIVM and blood bank Sanquin begin a project to find out how far the virus has spread. From today, however, health boards are poised to start testing hospital staff at ‘drive in’ …

Coronavirus UK: Matt Hancock promises 100k new tests a DAY
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus UK: Matt Hancock promises 100k new tests a DAY

Daily Mail  

Matt Hancock's five-point plan to increase coronavirus testing to 100,000 per day Heath secretary Matt Hancock today unveiled a five-point plan to boost the UK's coronavirus testing tenfold in a matter of weeks. On another tumultuous day of coronavirus developments: Another 569 deaths have been declared in the UK today, taking the total death toll to 2,921; Business groups say …

UK coronavirus: Criticism over testing as officials release guidance on who to save first
4 years, 9 months ago

UK coronavirus: Criticism over testing as officials release guidance on who to save first

CNN  

London CNN — The UK will test 100,000 people per day for coronavirus by the end of this month, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Thursday. Hancock set out the government’s order of priority for testing people for coronavirus: Patients first, expanding to NHS staff and their families, critical key workers third and “over time we will expand to community.” …

UK doctor issues warning on UK testing after testing positive to coronavirus COVID-19, says 'everyone needs their own thermometer'
4 years, 9 months ago

UK doctor issues warning on UK testing after testing positive to coronavirus COVID-19, says 'everyone needs their own thermometer'

ABC  

When London-based cardiologist Dr Mark Gallagher left work at a coronavirus-hit hospital just over a fortnight ago with a 37.9 degrees Celsius fever, he feared the worst. "Of course, they were fully alerted to the problem in the first week of January, so the response is extremely disappointing," Dr Gallagher told the ABC via videocall. Last week, Prime Minister Boris …

FDA authorizes first coronavirus antibody test
4 years, 9 months ago

FDA authorizes first coronavirus antibody test

CNN  

CNN — The US Food and Drug Administration has issued its first emergency use authorization for a coronavirus test that looks for antibodies in the blood. “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available to FDA, it is reasonable to believe that your product may be effective in diagnosing COVID-19,” said the agency, adding that “the known and potential benefits …

A coronavirus immunity test is essential for the U.S. But will it work?
4 years, 9 months ago

A coronavirus immunity test is essential for the U.S. But will it work?

LA Times  

It’s a potential saving grace salvaged from a pandemic: As people recover from the coronavirus, they may develop immunity that could allow them to return to school or work, helping place the U.S. on the road to recovery. The U.S., by comparison, hasn’t come up with a cohesive plan for large-scale antibody testing, which health experts say could dash chances …

Antibody tests: To get a grip on coronavirus, we need to know who's already had it
4 years, 9 months ago

Antibody tests: To get a grip on coronavirus, we need to know who's already had it

ABC  

With much of society now effectively in lockdown, how will we know when it's safe to resume something like normality? Because antibodies are specific to a particular virus, that means if we can detect SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in someone's blood, we know that person has already been infected with the coronavirus. Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC …

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