Antibody testing is coming , it’s just a matter of when… The UK government is set to launch a nationwide antibody surveillance programme, making free home antibody tests available for up to 8,000 Covid-19-positive people per day. The UK Health Security Agency will provide finger- tests to gain more insights into immunity against Covid-19 from vaccination and infection. Individuals aged above 18 years can opt-in to be part of the programme when booking a PCR test for Covid-19 via NHS Test and Trace service.
Israel has rolled out antibody testing for children aged as young as three years to obtain data on the number of youths who did not receive a Covid-19 vaccine but developed protection against the disease through infection. Vaccination of children aged 12 years and older is currently underway in the country. The new serological survey targets about 1.5 million children aged three to 12 years who are currently ineligible for a vaccine. Children found to have adequate antibodies will not be required to quarantine on exposure to a Covid-19 patient, which is intended to limit schoolyear disruptions.