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Superdrug selling coronavirus antibody test for £69

A Superdrug store in Cheshire. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire. - Credit: PA

A high street name is selling a coronavirus antibody test to show if you have had Covid-19, and it will reveal results in two days.

But to purchase the test – which it says is 97.5% sensitive and has 100% specificity – you will need to pay £69.

At present the test can only be purchased online through its Online Doctor service, and a questionnaire must be filled in first before it is reviewed by a doctor.

‘The results of your test should be ready within two days after our partner lab receives your sample,’ it claims online.

‘When your results are ready, a message will be sent to your account.’


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An envelope is provided to return the sample to a lab.

The pin-prick test will require buyers to return a few drops of blood in a test tube.

Those who have suffered from coronavirus must wait 14 days until after their symptoms first began to take the test.

But those that did not show symptoms can still take a test at any time to check to see if they have had it.

The company, however, warns those who have a positive result will still have to continue following government guidance on social distancing because it is not clear yet if coronavirus can be caught again.

‘Receiving a positive antibody test result does not confer immunity, and it is important that people understand a positive test result does not mean you can be any more relaxed with the required hygiene and social distancing measures as set out by the government,’ said Dr Zoe Williams, Superdrug’s doctor ambassador.

It is the second antibody test to be approved by Public Health England. The first was produced by Swiss firm Roche, but is not designed to give a result for those at home.

The government is set to buy millions of the Roche tests to be given to NHS and social care workers for free.

Ministers had suggested a ‘pregnancy test’ style test would be made available for those that want to find out also immediately if they have had the illness, but none have yet to be approved.

Some accused Superdrug of profiteering during the pandemic for charging shoppers £69.

‘£69 for a coronavirus antibody test from Superdrug??? Capitalism at its finest,’ wrote one social media user.

‘Profiting off a pandemic is kind of gross, you should have made them cheaper so they can be more accessible,’ tweeted Amanda Pennington.

James Meville said: ‘So you can now buy a Covid-19 antibody test from Superdrug but the UK government still can’t roll this out. The government are basically candidates from The Apprentice who were fired on week one.’

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