All you need to know about coronavirus test in the UK

As of Wednesday, 27 May 2020, there were 267,240 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK. With the daily confirmed cases slowly declining, the government has also announced that non-essential shops can open their doors again in England from 15 June. To help get workers back to work in the UK, the development of an accurate antibody and antigen coronavirus test is crucial. On top of the coronavirus antibody test, the NHS has also made available a free contact-tracing application to further prepare the country in easing its lockdown measures.

However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the eligibility and accuracy of the coronavirus tests available in the UK. Read on to learn all you need to know about antigen and antibody coronavirus tests in the UK.

What is an antigen test?

The coronavirus swab test, which is an antigen test, can tell whether a person has the virus, not if they have had it and recovered. You can get a test for yourself if you have coronavirus symptoms now (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste), and also for someone you live with if they have coronavirus symptoms. 

20-minute antigen testing 

Friday, 22 May saw the beginning of an antigen test trial to be performed on 4,000 people in A&E departments, GP testing hubs and care homes across the country to see if they’re carrying the virus. The test results should be available within 20 minutes. Currently, samples need to be sent off to a laboratory and then take several hours to process. 

If the scheme is successful and test results can come back within 20 minutes, it could be a major breakthrough in contact tracing and the scheme will be rolled out nationally in six weeks’ time. The testing will be available through pop-up and drive-through facilities, and even as home test kits in the future, as yet another effort to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK. 

What is an antibody test? 

An antibody test can detect if a person has had coronavirus before and has since recovered. The test, carried out by a device that pricks your finger for blood, or via a blood test performed by

a medical professional, examines your blood for coronavirus antibodies to see if they have already beaten the virus and gained some immunity to it. The antibody test is usually performed 21 days after a patient has exhibited the first onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Antibody testing will be pivotal in determining how far the coronavirus has spread and might give authorities and scientists an idea of whether, and how, immunity develops.

What getting an antibody test will tell you

A positive antibody test will tell you whether you’ve previously had the virus that causes COVID-19 and that your body has produced an immune response. It doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t pass the virus on to others, or that you won’t get sick again. There is still not enough data to support this claim. 

Can I get a coronavirus antibody test?

The UK Government has ordered 10 million antibody tests that at first will be available to essential workers, such as NHS and social care staff. These 99% accurate laboratory-based tests – manufactured by Swiss company Roche – require a blood sample to be taken by a health professional and are not at-home tests. 

The government is also working with the private sector to develop a ‘finger-prick’ type test, similar to a diabetes test, which will be suitable for use at home and without medical supervision, but it has not yet been validated for use. Despite the fact that it has not yet been validated, some major retailers in the UK have started selling at-home COVID-19 antibody test kits. However, as of the time of writing this article, sales of antibody finger-prick tests remain suspended following warnings from a health regulator about the reliability of such tests.

Contact Pacific Prime for more information

As of the time of writing this article, only patients in hospital, or those with symptoms and essential workers can apply for a coronavirus test in the UK. With no existing plans for country-wide testing, many residents are looking for a private coronavirus test instead. Residents and expatriates with private individual health insurance cover are advised to contact their UK insurance company to see if their coverage has been extended to include coronavirus treatment and testing.