UK Rolls Out COVID-19 Antibody Tests For All: What You Need To Know

On Sunday, the U.K. government rolled out a new nationwide antibody surveillance program, in which anyone over 18 years can opt-in when having a PCR test from Tuesday.
Of those who test positive, up to 8,000 will be sent two home antibody tests. The U.K. Health Security Agency will offer finger-prick tests to help improve the understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection.
The first test will determine the level of antibodies a person had before their current infection. The second test should be taken 28 days after testing positive for COVID-19 and will measure antibodies generated in response to the infection.
Related: UK Approves Regeneron - Roche's COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail.
By comparing the two antibody test results, the U.K. Health Security Agency says it will see how well vaccinated individuals boost their immunity when infected and how this might vary with different variants.