Antibody testing is the key to assessing the prevalence of Covid-19 in populations

There are two important stages in the global commitment to Covid-19. As the cases soar, the curve flattens out and gradually emerges from lockdown once the peak of infection is negotiated.

The different strategies for each scenario are signaled by two separate tests. The first test is a basic test for finding the presence of a virus. The second is to detect antibodies in the immune system. The former requires lab skills. The latter is simple and quick.

As the current pandemic unfolds, antibody testing is becoming increasingly important, with the considerable risk that the coronavirus may recur with revenge without the vaccine.

Scientists need to determine where and when new cases occur as quickly as possible. Equally important is to identify individuals who are already infected. Both cohorts are important for understanding the behavior of the virus, especially the virus that spreads over time.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test is used to identify the first newly infected cohort. The second is a blood test for antibodies generated in response to the infection. Ideally, the person tested should be immune at that point.

As the virus continues to spread, the development of effective antibody tests will help to ensure our position and provide additional measures needed to limit the spread. But that option has not yet crossed the line.

In the UK, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson His government purchased 17.5 million of them, so welcomed the antibody test kit as a “game changer.” Since then, he has to admit that none of them work well enough to use.

His minister strongly hoped that they would provide a clearer picture of how many people were infected and pave the way for deregulation.

The medical community had an appointment, but they wanted to send a fingerstick test kit for use at home.

Many Covid-19 antibody tests on the market claim high accuracy, but were developed in months with an accuracy rate of hundreds of samples.

The difficulty is that neither virus tests nor antibody tests are completely reliable, and inaccurate tests are worse than no tests.

Therefore, protecting healthcare professionals is really difficult. Using viral swabs can result in “false negatives” and it is not certain that no infection has occurred.

false positive

On the other hand, if you have an antibody test that is tested as a “false positive”, that is, if the test is getting antibodies to other viruses, you cannot be sure whether you are immune. People go to work with the wrong confidence.

The UK company Mologic predicts that a 10-minute test will complete the verification by June, but most immunity tests may not work because the “specificity” for Covid-19 is probably not sufficient. There is.

More than 60 antibody test kits are being developed worldwide, but “as far as I know, none have been properly tested,” Dr says. Derek Doherty TCD Medical School. For example, they are at risk of cross-reacting with other harmless coronaviruses there and producing false positives.

But he is definitely Ireland With the ability and expertise to test kits, we lead in obtaining validated tests on line. The TCD suggests testing a number of kits “in order to come up with the best performing kit” and creating their own kits for the projects to be funded. He estimates that this will begin within the month.

Lockdown does not affect this, but TCD processes patients and blood samples quickly. He believes that antibody testing will be an important part of the next step, but not the only one. This is because antibodies may not provide protection or may disappear over time. In that case, “T cells” that have been activated to fight invading pathogens may appear.

Dr. Doherty believes that some form of “exempt passport” will be required to ease the blockade. He acknowledges that it will be a logistic nightmare, but needs to ensure that the restrictions are lifted in a systematic way, based on reliable test results.

The alternative says that anyone can go freely with the inevitable risk of being exposed to the virus.

According to an immunologist professor, antibody testing in people will be “ very important ” over the coming weeks and months Paul Moina of Maynooth University. “Antibody tests can tell you if you have been infected with this virus. That means you can determine if you have been infected with the virus, even if you cleared the virus.”

To be effective, such tests need to be performed on a large scale and quickly, and it was clear whether the professor was medically exposed to the virus known as SARS-CoV-2. The professor says in an exam that can be decided on.

“Because many hospital laboratories have the necessary equipment and many blood samples are often processed quickly, it is possible to carry out large-scale antibody tests in the laboratory,” he said. Was.

“But we need to make sure that all the tests we use are specific for antibodies to this particular virus. Many of us, for example, have antibodies against other coronaviruses that cause colds It is important, therefore, that the tests we use are well validated to be unique to SARS-CoV-2. “

Definitive information about antibody levels in a population can help predict the course of a pandemic and help identify people at low or high risk of infection.

Professor Moynagh said that it was essential to articulate the level of immunity of the population in order to develop an escape strategy from the current blockade. “If anyone makes antibodies against this virus in the blood, it’s not certain that they won’t be infected again, but so far, the antibodies our body makes against this virus can neutralize it. The possibility is that antibodies are immunizing. ”

Health service executives stated that antibody testing is not currently a priority, but “evidence for such technology is continually being considered.”

“Antibody reactions are often not detected at the onset of symptoms, and in some patients it can take up to 10 days for symptoms to be detected. There are significant restrictions. ”