Antibody testing for Covid-19 is not without its complexities and challenges, especially for occupational health practitioners tasked with delivering it. But, as Paul Hillman argues, with Covid-19 cases rising so sharply in the UK, a well-managed, well-communicated programme can provide peace of mind for staff and employers alike.
With more than 80% of the UK adult population now double-jabbed and most restrictions lifted, the country’s workforce is back at the grindstone, working closely alongside colleagues once again.
However, with the colder weather setting in, and infection levels still high, how can occupational health teams help to monitor immunity and vaccine effectiveness in the workplace?
By understanding the possibilities provided by antibody testing, occupational health teams can provide a vital element in workplace management of the pandemic and its recovery.
Through the use of rapid antibody testing, occupational health can test employees to ensure they have acquired antibodies of coronavirus, through vaccination or through contracting the virus itself, and therefore provide peace of mind around the employee’s fitness for work and working alongside others.
Quick, convenient testing regime
Many rapid antibody tests have a very high clinical sensitivity. Ours at MEDsan UK, for example, is manufactured in Germany has a specificity of, and a sensitivity of, 98.3%.
Covid testing
Exercise caution with Covid-19 testing
Covid-19: Workplace testing should be incentivised say economists
The major benefits of using rapid antibody tests are they are quick, accurate, convenient and simple to use, requiring just a pinprick of blood and there is no waiting for laboratory results.
Rapid antibody tests work by examining Covid-19 IgM and IgG antibodies in the blood. The test separates the solid aspects of the blood sample from the blood plasma and combines them with the buffer solution which then proceeds through the membrane of the test device.
The antigens in the test device react with the Covid-19 IgM and IgG antibodies if they are present in the sample. A coloured line next to either the letter G or M will appear on the results strip of the test device if there has been a reaction with either or both of the antibodies.
Like the rapid antigen tests we have all become familiar with, the letter C represents control which signifies the test has been completed correctly and is working.
Many workplaces are deploying rapid antigen testing as a matter of course, something that is advisable when one in three people with coronavirus do not have any symptoms and therefore risk spreading the virus without knowing.”
IgM antibodies indicate an infection in the early stages, and these antibodies usually become undetectable after a matter of weeks or months. However IgG antibodies follow later in the infection, therefore indicating an older initial infection.
A line next to the C and either M or G after 10 minutes means the test is showing a positive result.
‘Belt and braces’ approach
Vaccine efficacy varies between 75% and 95%, and antibody testing provides a ‘belt and braces’ approach to ensure the antibodies have been successfully generated. Furthermore, it offers peace of mind to staff that their vaccine has been effective, helping to build confidence among teams reuniting after lockdown.
Many workplaces are deploying rapid antigen testing as a matter of course, something that is advisable when one in three people with coronavirus do not have any symptoms and therefore risk spreading it without knowing.
Antigen and antibody testing used in conjunction with each other can help workplaces stay infection free, protecting workforces.
Recent peer-reviewed studies from University College London have shown that rapid testing is more effective than previously thought. Lateral flow tests detect high viral loads which people carry when most infectious, these tests are more than 90% effective at detecting high viral loads and could be 100% effective if used when people are at their peak of infection.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Rapid testing detects cases fast, which breaks the chain of transmission if positive cases isolate immediately, therefore stopping the spread.
It’s still unclear how long the current vaccines are effective for. By deploying regular antibody testing in the workplace, occupational health teams can monitor the levels of immunity over time. For the best results, it is advisable to wait three weeks after a second dose of vaccine before testing for antibodies.
