UK healthcare company Medichecks has launched an antibody test to track unique responses to COVID-19 or the vaccine.
NHS research indicates that men produce higher antibodies levels in response to COVID-19. Medichecks’ CE-marked fingerprick test can be taken at home and detects antibodies to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
Results are available within two to three days, and will identify a figure on a scale of 0.4 to 2500 (units per millilitre). A score of below 0.8 means no antibodies were detected; anything above this shows the presence of antibodies to the virus.
It means individuals can monitor their personal antibody levels, paving the way for better intelligence on immune response among different people. The test can be taken at three-to-four-month intervals, to measure variation.
Dr Sam Rodgers, chief medical officer at Medichecks, said: “What is being learnt about COVID-19’s impact on the immune system is still a moving target, but this test lets people monitor their antibody levels over time. It is not yet known how long immunity, once it has developed, will fade, what level of antibodies provides immunity to coronavirus or at what level re-vaccination will be needed.
“It is also a focus of ongoing study whether antibodies may drop more quickly in certain groups of people, or if a COVID-19 infection generates more or less antibodies than the vaccine.
“We won’t completely rid the UK of COVID-19 anytime soon, but the more we can track antibody fluctuations in the UK population, the better picture we can build around how this virus can be managed long-term.”
The NHS Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT) issued a plea for more male COVID survivors to donate plasma to its national treatment trial. Analysis by NHSBT found that 43% of male donors had high enough COVID antibodies for their plasma to be used to help patients hospitalised by the virus, compared to just 29% of women – a difference they described as ‘statistically significant’.
Dr Rodgers adds: “As a guide, NHSBT is targeting volunteers who have antibody levels higher than 62 (U/mL) to donate plasma to treat people who are seriously ill with coronavirus. This doesn’t mean that if you have lower levels than this you won’t be protected, as we don’t know at what level of antibodies protection occurs.
“A number of studies have shown that coronavirus antibodies remain in the blood for at least six to eight months for most people. For some, particularly those who had no symptoms, antibody levels may decline more quickly. With the Medichecks test, it will be possible to get a result below 0.8 (U/ml), even if you have had a Coronavirus infection in the past. This could be because you only experienced mild or non-existent symptoms. It could also be because your body responded to the virus using different parts of your immune system.
“There is a higher chance of a negative result (below 0.8 U/ml) if the test is taken too soon after becoming infected with coronavirus or being vaccinated, so we recommend waiting at least three weeks after a known infection or vaccination before testing.”
Manufactured by Roche, the Anti-SARS-CoV-2-S coronavirus antibody test is priced at £69.
Medichecks posts a sample collection kit to customers together with full instructions on how to collect a blood sample in a small vial at home. The sample is then posted to a UKAS accredited laboratory for analysis. The result, accompanied by a doctor’s interpretation, is uploaded to the customer’s online dashboard.
