Researchers with Switzerland-based blood-screening company Quotient say they have developed a COVID-19 antibody test that will quickly and accurately determine whether test subjects have developed antibodies that would make them immune to the virus.
In an interview with French news agency Agence France-Presse, Quotient Chief Executive Officer Franz Walt said the test has been shown to have a 100% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity claim, which would making it one of the most accurate tests for the COVID-19 available.
Walt said the test was developed jointly between scientists working in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at Quotient’s headquarters in Switzerland. He said the test runs on an instrument called the Mosaic that can deliver an initial test in 35 minutes, with subsequent results every 24 seconds. After that, up to 3,000 tests per day can be delivered.
An accurate antibody test would be valuable tool for ending a lockdown, as it could identify people who could not get the virus and not infect others.
The company says the European Union has an interest in its test and the machine that runs it. The BBC reports the company is interested in negotiations with Britain, as well.
