Question reference: S5W-29832
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 10 June 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28122 by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020, how many antibody tests have been carried out on a (a) daily and (b) weekly basis, and how these figures will be reported.
Answer
Antibody tests can tell us whether an individual has had COVID-19. However, there is currently insufficient clinical evidence to conclude that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are protected from a second infection or from infecting others. Therefore, health boards in Scotland have been advised by the Chief Medical Officer to focus on using antibody tests to improve our understanding of COVID-19 and in the clinical management of patients. As of 19th June 2020, 4,431 antibody tests have been used. Public Health Scotland are considering how to include suitable elements of this data in their wider reporting.