Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

ResearchCoronavirusTestingHealth surveillanceOccupational Health

Caution urged over reliance on Covid-19 antibody testing

by Ashleigh Webber 25 Jun 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 25 Jun 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Employers hoping to get more staff back to work by using coronavirus antibody tests have been warned that they could miss one in 10 cases of Covid-19.

According to researchers at the University of Birmingham, the tests are not accurate enough to confirm whether someone has had the virus if used in the first two weeks after symptoms appear.

Covid-19 testing

ICO guidance on workplace coronavirus testing published

Scientists urge caution over availability of antibody tests

Staff support temperature checks and virus tests upon return to work

They said antibody tests are only likely to be useful in detecting previous Covid-19 infections if used at least 14 days after the onset of symptoms.

Jon Deeks, professor of Biostatistics and head of the Test Evaluation Research Group at the University of Birmingham, said: “We’ve analysed all available data from around the world and discovered clear patterns telling is that timing is vital in using these tests. Use them at the wrong time and they don’t work.

“There are promising tests, but there isn’t enough evidence to be able to identify the best tests yet, and we need to continue analysing data as it becomes available – particularly from non-clinical settings where individuals are displaying less severe symptoms, and following people over longer time periods.”

The researchers cautioned against over-reliance on antibody testing, as the studies into their effectiveness have been small-scale and involved selected hospital patient groups. They analysed data from 54 studies published before the end of April 2020, covering around 16,000 test results.

Although the body produces three classes of antibody – IgA, IgG and IgM – most antibody tests only detect IgG and IgM. The IgG antibody is usually more prevalent a few weeks after infection.

The studies showed that the combination of IgG or IgM had a sensitivity of 72% for eight to 14 days; 91% for 15 to 21 days; and 96% for 21 to 35 days. Little data were available beyond 35 days.

Where around half of employees may have had Covid-19 – such as in health care settings – the researchers estimated that there will be seven false positives and 43 false negatives for every thousand people undergoing combined IgG and IgM testing 15 to 21 days after Covid-19 symptoms appeared.

Deeks said: “In time, we will learn whether having previously had the infection provides individuals with immunity to future infection, which will indicate the personal value of having this test.

“This is a fast-moving field and we plan to update this review regularly as more studies are published. However, the design, execution and reporting of studies of the accuracy of Covid-19 tests requires considerable improvement, and action needs to be taken to ensure that all results of test evaluations are available in the public domain.”

The study was published as 14 senior academics warned antibody tests are being rolled out in the NHS and care settings without adequate assessment.

In an open letter published by the BMJ, the scientists warn the tests do not prove immunity and have “no benefit” to healthcare settings as they do not change what personal protective equipment staff must wear, for example.

But Cathal Friel, chief executive of antibody testing kit manufacturer hVIVO, said hesitating to test staff “may prevent valuable, safe treatments from seeing the light of day and making the UK workforce productive once again”.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“While there is no 100% conclusive evidence on antibodies completely avoiding reinfection or delivering long-term immunity, the issues around antibody testing accuracy and compliance with EU standards have largely been addressed already,” said Friel.

“Our tests are safe and available now; waiting for the perfect solution will deprive employers of an important tool in ensuring the UK’s economic recovery and so carries serious economic risks.”

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Financial whistleblower wins £75k payout in sex discrimination case
next post
HR priorities switch as pandemic heralds a new future

1 comment

Andi Reinitz 22 Jan 2021 - 8:56 pm

Following antibody testing, why did I get the message that I am “positive” and should self isolate, I have just finished my self isolation 10 days ago. I did not get any answers about how many antibidies I got. All antibody testing was a waste of time and money from the NHS. 🙁

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today