Testing for Covid-19 Infection

Testing people for Covid-19 infection is an essential component of our strategy to control the global Covid-19 pandemic. These tests come in two main groups: antigen tests and antibody tests.

The antigen test is to determine if you currently have Covid-19 infection. This requires swabs to be taken from your nose and throat to look for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 infection. In the UK, this test is mainly limited to hospital patients and NHS staff. There are now plans to extend testing to staff working in care homes. We will also need to expand testing to people in the community who do not require hospital treatment.

The antibody test to determine if you have had a previous Covid-19 infection. This is done through a blood test that is then assessed for the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. We believe that once people have been infected and develop antibodies, they should be protected from a repeat infection.

Because Covid-19 is a new disease, we don’t know how long this immunity lasts. If you have been infected, don’t assume you can’t get a repeat infection. Continue with preventive measures such as good personal hygiene and social distancing to reduce your risk and the risk to others.

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