Superdrug has become the first high street retailer to launch an antibody test in the nation's fight against coronavirus.
The pharmacy chain said it's now offering a Covid-19 blood test via its Online Doctor service for anyone with symptoms of the highly contagious infection.
It comes after the UK's death toll surpassed 35,000 on Tuesday, despite a decline in numbers as ministers prepare to reopen schools and get more Britons back to work.
All of the components of the home sampling test kits are CE marked and the test is run by a UKAS-accredited laboratory, Superdrug said.
"We’re launching a Covid-19 antibody test because we’re confident of its accuracy and reliability," Michael Henry, the chain's healthcare director explained.
"The Public Health England approved test is an accessible way for people to know whether they have already been infected with Covid-19.
"The test will only be available online via our online doctor service and will not be available in our stores."
However Superdrug doctor ambassador, Dr Zoe Williams, warned: "There are things to consider before taking it.
"Receiving a positive antibody test result does not confer immunity, and it is important that people understand a positive test result does not mean you can be any more relaxed with the required hygiene and social distancing measures as set out by the government."
Immunity warnings
Antibody testing is seen as an important part of the Government’s approach to ending the lockdown and opening up the economy and it is understood to be in discussions with Swiss firm Roche to procure millions of tests for use by the NHS.
But experts have raised concerns over the accuracy of results with the chain saying it will detect Covid-19 antibodies in 97.5% of cases.
It is also yet to be confirmed what level of immunity, if any, infected people develop.
Those taking the Superdrug test would prick their finger at home with a lancet, collect a few drops of blood in a vial and send it to be tested at an accredited laboratory via prepaid post.
However, Abbott, the manufacturer of the test, said it was not intended to be used in this way and should be administered by a medical professional.
A spokesman said: “The test is not intended for use as a home test and it should not be conducted with a finger stick blood sample.”
Professor Adam Finn, of the University of Bristol, said the uncertainty over immunity meant it was not clear how useful these types of tests will be for individuals.
He added: “Until we know how strong and long lasting immunity is after infection, it is hard to know what to do about the results of these tests, even if the tests are reliable."
Finn said customers should think twice before spending any money, until there is a "very clear idea" of what the result could mean.
How antibody blood tests work
Antibody tests are essentially blood tests that look for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the coronavirus that causes Covid-19).
It detects the IgG, which is the protein that develops after infection. If positive, it means that the person has had the virus at some point.
Anyone over 18 can take the test. If you’ve recently developed symptoms that might be attributable to Covid-19, you should wait until at least 14 days after the start of those symptoms to test for these antibodies, since it can take that long to develop them.
If you haven’t had any symptoms recently, or never had them, you can test at any time.
How it works
Through the new test, a blood sampling kit will be sent in the post. This will contain detailed instructions about how to carry out the test with a simple finger prick using a lancet (similar to how diabetics test their sugar levels).
A few drops of blood need to be collected into a small vial, secured in the packaging and posted to the UKAS-accredited lab using the pre-paid packaging. The results are then available from Superdrug Online Doctor within 24 hours of the sample reaching the lab.
Covid-19 antibody test accuracy
Superdrug said the test has a sensitivity of 97.5%. This means that it will detect positive antibodies 97.5% of the time.
"A small number of previous infections might go undetected. This might be for various reasons to do with there not being enough of an immune response developed by the individual, or the test not being able to detect the antibodies," a statement explained.
The chain also claims the test has a specificity of 100%. This means that a positive result is specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and there’s no cross-reactivity between other viral antibodies (such as flu).
However, while it may offer insight into traces of the virus, experts say patients should be aware it's only a "partial picture" of the infection.
Professor Gino Martini, Royal Pharmaceutical Society chief scientific officer, said: “Any antibody test at present can only provide a partial picture. The real issue is that no-one knows the level of immunity that is conferred by having antibodies to coronavirus, how long it might last, and if you can become re-infected. We need much more information and data on immunity before we can understand the importance of having antibodies to the virus.”
The Covid-19 Antibody Blood Test costs £69 and is available online.
Once the results are sent through from the lab, Superdrug online doctors will be able to review them and send a confidential secure message to the patient through their online account informing them of the outcome.
