The next stage of the battle against coronavirus is likely to see an increase in the use of antibody testing.
Several versions of the test – which determine exposure to SARS-Cov2, the virus behind Covid-19 – are being evaluated by the Scottish Government and NHS.
One such test has been developed by scientists working at a lab in Midlothian.
It is a straightforward procedure that involves giving a blood sample and only takes a matter of minutes.
The blood sample in the test tube is spun for several minutes to separate out plasma. It is then put in another machine that analyses it for the presence of coronavirus antibodies.
The Midlothian team says the accuracy level of the results is higher than 99%, which is considerably higher than the swabbing procedure.
The Scottish Government is currently assessing a number of antibody tests.
As more research is done around immunity and whether having had the disease gives you it, these tests will play an increasingly important role.
