Can we buy antibody tests yet?

[HowFurloughCanYouGo]

According to the DM (🙄, I know) European counties are doing antibody tests and we have only done about 3.

So they exist then?

So we could buy one?

Unfortunately they are not reliable. Up to 30% false positives due to people having antibodies to similar coronaviruses. Also you will not test positive for antibodies until several weeks after having the disease so would need to test at intervals.

They are not reliable.

Other European countries are doing tests to get some idea what proportion of the population has had it. If you know how many false positives and false negatives the test gives then it is good enough for that (at least statistically if you test a large enough number of people)

If you want to know for yourself if you have had it or for the idea of "immunity passports" the current tests are no use.

Yes you can buy them. I had an e mail from a private chemist about this

Ones you can do at home aren't reliable. The antibody tests they are doing are lab ones so you can't just buy them.

You can buy them but they are rubbish

The UK government are working with at consortium of UK companies to develop an antibody test. Not sure what the plan is should they get the nod of approval. Potentially they could go on general sale but I would have thought the government want to collate the results to determine if and how we can leave lockdown.

India announced today they have stopped doing antibody tests as the ones they have been using are too inaccurate. They'd purchased 500 million tests from China! Hope they get a refund

www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/india-suspends-coronavirus-antibody-tests-after-questions-over-reliability