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Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52656808
A test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by health officials in England.
Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".
The blood test looks for antibodies to see if a person has already had the virus and might now have some immunity.
Until now, officials have said such tests are not reliable enough.
The government previously spent a reported £16m buying antibody tests which later proved to be ineffective.
Sources told the BBC the Roche test was the first one to offer serious potential.
Antibodies are made by our immune system as it learns to fight an infection.
Finding antibodies that attack the coronavirus show that person has been infected in the past, but they do not prove they are protected against it in the future.
Experts at the government's Porton Down facility evaluated the Roche test last week, Public Health England said.
Roche found that if someone had been infected, it gave the correct result 100% of the time.
If someone had not caught coronavirus then it gave the correct result more than 99.8% of the time.
It means fewer than two in 1,000 healthy people would be incorrectly told they had previously caught the coronavirus.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
I'm trying to get an appointment for one as I type this. There's a 65 minute wait time on the phone.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
life on mars
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52656808
A test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by health officials in England.
Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".
The blood test looks for antibodies to see if a person has already had the virus and might now have some immunity.
Until now, officials have said such tests are not reliable enough.
The government previously spent a reported £16m buying antibody tests which later proved to be ineffective.
Sources told the BBC the Roche test was the first one to offer serious potential.
Antibodies are made by our immune system as it learns to fight an infection.
Finding antibodies that attack the coronavirus show that person has been infected in the past, but they do not prove they are protected against it in the future.
Experts at the government's Porton Down facility evaluated the Roche test last week, Public Health England said.
Roche found that if someone had been infected, it gave the correct result 100% of the time.
If someone had not caught coronavirus then it gave the correct result more than 99.8% of the time.
It means fewer than two in 1,000 healthy people would be incorrectly told they had previously caught the coronavirus.
The accuracy rate of this test is really encouraging, a while back it was being reported that such a test was much further away. This test may give us a clue on how long people can remain immune (if they are indeed immune) to the virus after recovering. It could tell us how many people have been exposed without symptoms.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
I'm trying to get an appointment for one as I type this. There's a 65 minute wait time on the phone.
Good luck NYC Blue
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The accuracy rate of this test is really encouraging, a while back it was being reported that such a test was much further away. This test may give us a clue on how long people can remain immune (if they are indeed immune) to the virus after recovering. It could tell us how many people have been exposed without symptoms.
There is great hope here, the only downside is re infection of the virus could only be be established after many months .
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
I'm trying to get an appointment for one as I type this. There's a 65 minute wait time on the phone.
Don't you live in NYC?!
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The accuracy rate of this test is really encouraging, a while back it was being reported that such a test was much further away. This test may give us a clue on how long people can remain immune (if they are indeed immune) to the virus after recovering. It could tell us how many people have been exposed without symptoms.
Well done the pharmaceutical industry, and Roche in particular. At the end of the day this industry is often criticised, but they are the ones that produce the goods. HIV, manageable with drugs, same with lots of other diseases from arthritis through to cancer.
And they, if anyone, will produce a vaccine for Covid.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
life on mars
There is great hope here, the only downside is re infection of the virus could only be be established after many months .
Eventually they will build a database of people known to harbour antibodies as a result of infection (whether with or without symptoms). I would expect that a sample of this database will continue to receive regular tests to see if they have are reinfected with covid. Eventually, a rate of reinfection can be established, together with a timeframe for immunity.
Personally, I'm not too sure if me knowing I had covid-19 without symptoms (for example) would make much difference to my life. I think it is more important that people on the front line are tested, and that they continue to receive tests to establish re-infection.
Essentially, this test will provide a lot more data that should help in learning more about the virus.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
“Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".
This is same company with whom the WAG had signed contract for PPE
Will this test be for England only?
Will we have to wait until them down the Bay decide that we need a separate contract only to be gazumped by Mozambique who offered more £
And then we find we can’t get any until December at the earliest
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
light up the darkness
Will this test be for England only?
The deal is likely to be UK wide.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
light up the darkness
“Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".
This is same company with whom the WAG had signed contract for PPE
Will this test be for England only?
Will we have to wait until them down the Bay decide that we need a separate contract only to be gazumped by Mozambique who offered more £
And then we find we can’t get any until December at the earliest
The same company that said no such contract existed and asked WAG to produce it, it which they never did.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The deal is likely to be UK wide.
I know you are well intentioned but I don’t think we should hold our breath on this
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
light up the darkness
I know you are well intentioned but I don’t think we should hold our breath on this
It has very little to do with my intentions. It has everything to do with the UK Government's intentions, together with the devolved nations. The deal is likely to be UK wide so let's see before prejudging the Senedd to be useless tossers. You could always revert to plan B and claim I work there.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The deal is likely to be UK wide.
Wales to 'take advantage' of any UK antibody deal
Dr Goodall says he is hopeful Wales could take advantage of any deal on antibody testing brokered by the UK government.
He said officials in Wales would be involved in UK-wide discussions later this afternoon and he was sure there would be an announcement on the matter in due course.
He welcomed progress on the development of a possible antibody test but reminded the public that a positive antibody test would not mean that individuals had immunity from the virus.
The test, which finds out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past, has been approved by health officials in England.
He said: “First of all there is a need to check and validate any testing regime to make sure that the accuracy is there that is necessary, and secondly, there would need to be a commercial arrangement in place to deploy that.
"Hopefully we can take advantage of a UK deal in place for that if it comes through.”
That's a worrying sentence in the light of other things. But if the government is paying for it from treasury funds then it should be for all of UK. If NHS England is paying we could be in the kacky poo.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
Wales to 'take advantage' of any UK antibody deal
Dr Goodall says he is hopeful Wales could take advantage of any deal on antibody testing brokered by the UK government.
He said officials in Wales would be involved in UK-wide discussions later this afternoon and he was sure there would be an announcement on the matter in due course.
He welcomed progress on the development of a possible antibody test but reminded the public that a positive antibody test would not mean that individuals had immunity from the virus.
The test, which finds out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past, has been approved by health officials in England.
He said: “First of all there is a need to check and validate any testing regime to make sure that the accuracy is there that is necessary, and secondly, there would need to be a commercial arrangement in place to deploy that.
"Hopefully we can take advantage of a UK deal in place for that if it comes through.”
That's a worrying sentence in the light of other things. But if the government is paying for it from treasury funds then it should be for all of UK. If NHS England is paying we could be in the kacky poo.
Let's wait for the announcements before getting our knickers in a twist.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The deal is likely to be UK wide.
Drakeford will balls it up somehow
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
No it isn’t. Quite the opposite.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
The deal is likely to be UK wide.
No it isn’t. Quite the opposite.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
It has very little to do with my intentions. It has everything to do with the UK Government's intentions, together with the devolved nations. The deal is likely to be UK wide so let's see before prejudging the Senedd to be useless tossers. You could always revert to plan B and claim I work there.
What is “likely” is that multiple parties will be awarded contracts to provide testing with variances in the devolved nations and within individual nations based on many different criteria.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lord Dargavel
What is “likely” is that multiple parties will be awarded contracts to provide testing with variances in the devolved nations and within individual nations based on many different criteria.
What criteria are they based on?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goats
Drakeford will balls it up somehow
Drakeford is the new Dave Jones....
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
It has very little to do with my intentions. It has everything to do with the UK Government's intentions, together with the devolved nations. The deal is likely to be UK wide so let's see before prejudging the Senedd to be useless tossers. You could always revert to plan B and claim I work there.
Are you Mark Drakeford in disguise ?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lord Dargavel
What is “likely” is that multiple parties will be awarded contracts to provide testing with variances in the devolved nations and within individual nations based on many different criteria.
The Roche product is the one that has been approved and that's the one we will use whether purchased UK wide or individually by each of the 4 countries.
The issue is how to run the tests. Each needs an individual iV sample which will have to be taken by a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist. That'll take time as I imagine most will be done at GP surgeries. Then the sample has to go to a lab, either NHS, private or a mix. Finally the results have to be posted.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lisvaneblue
The Roche product is the one that has been approved and that's the one we will use whether purchased UK wide or individually by each of the 4 countries.
The issue is how to run the tests. Each needs an individual iV sample which will have to be taken by a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist. That'll take time as I imagine most will be done at GP surgeries. Then the sample has to go to a lab, either NHS, private or a mix. Finally the results have to be posted.
An update.... Abbott Laboratories have just had their test approved as well, so likely that the NHS will purchase both theirs and Roche to secure supplies
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lisvaneblue
An update.... Abbott Laboratories have just had their test approved as well, so likely that the NHS will purchase both theirs and Roche to secure supplies
What are the details on their test?
Didn't they have issues with their other tests missing positive covid 19 cases?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
What are the details on their test?
Didn't they have issues with their other tests missing positive covid 19 cases?
They have 99.9% accuracy, similar to Roche.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lisvaneblue
They have 99.9% accuracy, similar to Roche.
Do the tests need to go through the same process as Roche's?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lisvaneblue
The Roche product is the one that has been approved and that's the one we will use whether purchased UK wide or individually by each of the 4 countries.
The issue is how to run the tests. Each needs an individual iV sample which will have to be taken by a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist. That'll take time as I imagine most will be done at GP surgeries. Then the sample has to go to a lab, either NHS, private or a mix. Finally the results have to be posted.
According to the BBC report on this new test it takes 20 minutes to analys and get a result.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
light up the darkness
“Public Health England said the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, was a "very positive development".
This is same company with whom the WAG had signed contract for PPE
Will this test be for England only?
Will we have to wait until them down the Bay decide that we need a separate contract only to be gazumped by Mozambique who offered more £
And then we find we can’t get any until December at the earliest
When we had a deal/thought we had a deal and England pinched it, they tried to justify it by saying they was pirating the order for the whole of the UK, so perhaps we only got 1/20th of our order, this time it would be immoral and unethical for the English to say it is theirs only in light of the pirating, so I can't see England claiming it all in the circumstance but there again it is the English we are talking about so who knows, survival of the fittest, right of conquest, God's will and all that so who knows hey.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
According to the BBC report on this new test it takes 20 minutes to analys and get a result.
That may or may not be the case but the state run British Broadcasting Corporation has little creditably for fairness or accuracy these days, some things they say are believable others not so, it's take with a pinch of salt job.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
trampie09
That may or may not be the case but the state run British Broadcasting Corporation has little creditably for fairness or accuracy these days, some things they say are believable others not so, it's take with a pinch of salt job.
it wasn't the BBC saying it, they were only reporting what had been reported by the scientists
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
it wasn't the BBC saying it, they were only reporting what had been reported by the scientists
I don't doubt it but they are known to be very selective, like giving Labour only twice the coverage as the Conservatives when Labour was in power but giving the Conservatives four times the coverage Labour got when the Conservatives were in power.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
trampie09
I don't doubt it but they are known to be very selective, like giving Labour only twice the coverage as the Conservatives when Labour was in power but giving the Conservatives four times the coverage Labour got when the Conservatives were in power.
how much did they give Plaid?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
how much did they give Plaid?
I doubt Plaids case would be protrayed in an objective light, the Beebs handling of the Scottish independence vote was shockingly in favour of the union.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
life on mars
Good luck NYC Blue
Got one this morning. Very quick and easy. Should get the results next week. I hope it's positive. I'll be a big relief.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
Got one this morning. Very quick and easy. Should get the results next week. I hope it's positive. I'll be a big relief.
Some countries are very slow testing and processing results, it's a very poor show.
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Yes Abbott’s antibody test has gone through the same testing as the Roche antibody test, along with other vendors. Both companies claim 100% sensitivity and greater than 99% specificity (which is arguably more important).
Despite what has been suggested in the media (Which has mislead people including posters on here) no one vendor has signed an agreement to supply the 4 nations laboratories. The public health bodies are all assessing the various tests from the various vendors. No official decisions have yet been taken on who will supply the labs but orders will be split across vendors including Roche and Abbott.
You should understand that it makes no sense that a hospital whose laboratories are supplied by one vendor to purchase a test from another vendor as they do not have the equipment to run the test on. This is just one example of why there will not be an all encompassing deal with one vendor.
There are also different types of test. The PCR test which actively looks for the presence of the virus is different to the antibody test which looks for the presence of antibodies that were formed by the body to combat the virus. There are also different antibody tests. IgG and IgM. Then there are the rapid diagnostics tests.
The vendors are offering different combinations of these different types of tests.
Lisvaneblue confidently stated “The Roche product is the one that has been approved and that's the one we will use whether purchased UK wide or individually by each of the 4 countries.” He/she could not have been more wrong. This is factually incorrect and a good example of why you should not necessarily believe what you read in the media
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
Got one this morning. Very quick and easy. Should get the results next week. I hope it's positive. I'll be a big relief.
Did you have any symptoms at all? I trust it wasn’t free?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
Got one this morning. Very quick and easy. Should get the results next week. I hope it's positive. I'll be a big relief.
Why will you be relieved to have had covid-19?
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Re: Positive post : Covid antibody test a 'positive development'
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CCFCC3PO
Why will you be relieved to have had covid-19?
Possibly because if he's had it and it's not been too bad it means he knows that he's not one of the ones who are susceptible to serious complications from it. My sister's a nurse with severe asthma and she had symptoms, it was terrifying for a few days then when she was clearly beating whatever she had we were willing for it to have been Covid so she'll have had it and come through. As it turns out her test came back negative, it brings a weird mix of emotions.
