Britain agrees to acquire antibody tests, boosting Coronavirus response

London:The UK has agreed to a deal to acquire antibody tests which show whether someone has previously contracted coronavirus, a boost to PM Boris Johnson as he tries to ease the country back to normality.

UK has been in commercial negotiations with Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG about buying its tests, which were cleared by a UK health authority earlier this month and have garnered praise in Germany and the US for their reliability.

Details of the deal will be announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock at the government's daily 5 pm briefing, Johnson’s spokesman James Slack said on a call with reporters on Thursday.


Widespread availability of antibody tests may help Britain lift its lockdown restrictions, because they show who has already had the virus and might have a degree of immunity, meaning they can resume social contact with others.

However, scientists still aren’t sure whether having antibodies means long-lasting protection from the disease.

The antibody tests will be free to access through the National Health Service and care workers would be prioritized, Slack said. Johnson previously described antibody tests as a “game-changer” in the response to the virus.