Why covid-19 antibody tests are not the game changer the UK government claims
BMJ Feature expresses grave concerns over the tests and notes findings of a Cochrane review that data supporting existing tests are so vague, it is impossible to know how accurate they are, especially for people with mild or no symptoms or after symptoms have gone.
Source:
British Medical Journal
SPS commentary:
A letter from a group of senior clinical academics and physicians publicly question the government’s antibody testing strategy. They outline three concerns: firstly, there is no specific clinical indication for the test on an individual basis, secondly, the performance of these assays has not yet been assessed to the standard typically required of a novel test, and thirdly, the resource implications are not considered. They suggest the only current justification for large scale SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody testing is for research purposes, including public health surveillance to inform epidemiology.