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I tend top agree with everything you write. And also think the time for this is fast approaching i cant see us being able to survive any substantial lockdown so testing for immunity and repeat mass testing using a quick home test is most definitely what will happen.
Backed up by an equally quick home test for antigen oooo yes we will be doing that too in a few months
Chuggley - IMO it is because a compliant and obedient population might still be required for future lockdowns.
As soon as they come out and verify or admit to immunity after infection then certain hero johnnies will be running around giving the cops two fingers and refusing to comply because they’ve had s positive test and recovered.
They are not at that stage yet but they will be in future when they decide the strategy will no longer be lockdowns and they need as many of us back in normal life as possible and that time is rapidly approaching imo. A bit more contagion from pubs etc in the next couple of months and they’ll start mass antibody testing for immunity.
Gov strategy on herd immunity has always governed RTC newsflow for when the time is right and will continue to do so imo.
I agree - its obvious antibodies are effective - so they should get on with the mass testing - people who are tested that then get re-infected will prove the how long. If we wait for science to do the normal snail like stuff - theyll still be debating it and measuring in 2 years
We already know the body produces antibodies to fight Covid 19, hence the effectiveness of convalescent plasma transfusion therapy. Current Patients receiving plasma from recovered patients high in antibodies are seeing strong rates of recovery, resistance and immunity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/smarter-living/coronavirus-convalescent-plasma-antibodies.html
The only question now is how long immunity lasts. Six months and counting, over 6 million recovered patients globally and still not one verified reinfected patient.
Only a matter of time before the period of immunity is deemed sufficient to issue recovered people with digital certificates to go back to work and resume normal life etc.
Current estimates are 80% of us are going to get it at some stage so no point having everybody locked down unnecessarily. They can’t afford to do that again so it’s on to stage 2 now.
Thanks.
You can only get the true picture re longevity and effectiveness of antibodies after people have had the virus and been tested many times over a sustained period. It is very likely this virus will produce antibodies as others do, but we await formal evidence to confirm. The other thing is ODX are also going to produce antigen tests as well so not reliant on antibodies test
They also have the CD4 and food divisions so risks are mitigated to some extent.
Thanks for the reply. Yes, it's Sir John's quote in the telegraph that's raised the question with me...
“We know the analytical quality is good,” Sir John said.
“All we need is the science that supports the notion that having antibodies is protection. We’re doing those experiments now, alongside T-cell studies.
“All I can say is that we hope and think this Rapid Test Consortium test is the real deal – a game changer if you like,” he said. “I foresee an antibody test before the end of the year. And this may well be the one we’ve been waiting for.”
I'm new to this sector and am struggling slightly with the concepts involved.
My understanding is that ODX tests for antibodies, which appear as much as two weeks after the initial infection. And it's during these two weeks that people are especially infectious. An antigen test on the other hand tests for the virus itself.
As I understand it, the presence of antibodies doesn't guarantee immunity as the virus may be of a type that requires a cellular T-cell response, meaning that antibodies being present doesn't automatically confer immunity - given that they don't yet know what type covid is so it may well be that antibodies confer immunity, it's just not yet certain. When they work it out, and find that antibodies do indeed confer immunity, odx is game on, but if not, then that could be problematic.
Am I correct in seeing this as a risk?