Government signs contract to supply 10 million Roche and Abbott antibody tests

Ewan Somerville21 May 2020

The Government has ordered 10 million antibody tests to be rolled out over the next few months.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a deal has been struck with Swiss firm Roche and pharmaceutical company Abbott to supply the vital tests.

“From next week we will begin rolling these out in a phased way, at first to health and care staff, patients and residents," he told the Downing Street briefing.

“The UK Government has arranged supplies of these tests on behalf of the devolved administrations and each devolved nation is deciding how to use its test allocation and how testing will be prioritised and managed locally.

Matt Hancock announced the new tests at the Downing Street briefing 
PA

“This is an important milestone and it represents further progress in our national testing programme.”

It came as Mr Hancock revealed a new coronavirus test that produces results in just 20 minutes is being piloted in the UK.

The swab test does not need to be sent to the lab - which has been the source of many delays in the testing programme so far - and would show if someone currently has Covid-19.

One of the new antibody tests to be rolled out across the UK is being produced in South Wales.

It is understood that Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, which has a factory in Pencoed, Bridgend, is the only firm producing the blood tests in the UK.

Wales’ health minister Vaughan Gething welcomed the availability of the test, saying: “The approval and production of the new antibody test is an important step forward in our efforts to stop the spread of the virus, protect the public and ease lockdown restrictions.

Antibody tests are vital to the UK's route out of lockdown
PA

“This test will tell us if people have already had coronavirus. But it is important to say although the test can tell if someone has had the virus, it’s not certain as to how much immunity they’ll have to the virus.

“We are also looking to deliver another type of antibody test, which can give a result in minutes. Together with the test announced today, this will form an important part of our test, trace, protect to strategy to help Wales come out of lockdown."

Mr Hancock said the results of the Government’s antibody surveillance study have shown one in 20 of the UK and over a quarter of Londoners have got coronavirus antibodies.

Antibody tests are designed tell people whether they have had the virus and whether antibodies have developed, however NHS England medical director Professor Stephen Powis has warned they do not necessarily show Covid-19 immunity.

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