Coronavirus antibody test: what is it and how does it work?
Laboratories across the world are working on the production of coronavirus antibody tests that quickly indicate if the tester has contracted the Covid-19 virus previously.
An antibody or serological test is used in the detection in ascertaining if an individual has contracted the Covid-19 virus previously and can also detect if the person in question has subsequently recovered.
The fifteen minute test involves a finger-prick procedure with the blood quickly analysed to determine if coronavirus antibodies have been generated thus gaining a higher level of immunity to future infection.
UK based daily The Telegraph maintain that the British government have purchased over three million of these finger-prick tests and with the tests set to be available for purchase in the future via Amazon and the Boots chain with an expected retail price of approximately seven euro.
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Some countries, such as South Korea and Germany, have successfully tested far more people than in other countries, these tests are in most cases the much slower saliva based swab tests.
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