Antibody testing in England slumps as 'game-changer' scheme founders

Antibody testing, which reveals whether someone has had coronavirus, was to be a “total game changer” in England’s efforts to tackle the pandemic, prime minister Boris Johnson declared in March. But although 10m tests were ordered from pharmaceutical companies Roche and Abbott in May, only 1.3m have so far been carried out — almost entirely among NHS and care home staff. Meanwhile, the government has indicated it has frozen its plans to roll out the programme to the general public. The scheme has foundered amid confusion over who is eligible for free testing and a debate around whether antibodies confer immunity from further coronavirus infection. This has led to concern among manufacturers, who have been developing tests at breakneck speed in anticipation of a wider rollout.