DHSC aims for 1,000 antibody tests a week

First phase to involve healthcare workers

Government is planning on carrying out 1,000 antibody tests a week, starting with healthcare workers, blood donors and those admitted to hospital. 

Results confirm whether you've had Covid-19, but medics have stressed this doesn't mean you're immune from future infection.  

The DHSC has purchased 10,000 of the tests from multinational healthcare company Abbott to help it understand the spread of coronavirus.  

Patients will have samples taken at Nobles Hospital, Ramsey Cottage Hospital, Loch Promenade medical centre, and soon-to-be established blood clinics in the community.

It's understood 200 samples a day can be processed, and patients can expect results back in a week.

In the first phase, 5,000 tests will be offered to different groups, including healthcare workers, anyone who's previously tested positive for Covid-19, and those already due to take a blood test.

A full list of those involved in this stage is available via the government website.

After this, the remainder will be used to test a randomly selected group of population to give medics a less bias view of the spread.

Steven Doyle is the pathology manager at the DHSC: