Israel will begin serological testing as early as this week to determine if a patient has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and, if so, if the patient has developed antibodies against it, according to Gamidor Diagnostics.
The country will use Roche’s Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 test, which received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use administration on Sunday. Gamidor Diagnostics is the exclusive representative of Roche in Israel. The country will be one of the first to implement the test in the world.
“The FDA-approved serological tests will allow thousands of tests a day in Israel, as they are being tested on systems already in place in various laboratories in Israel,” said Gamidor vice president Dr. Koby Millard.
Israel has around 100 of Roche’s “cobas e analyzers” on which the test is processed.
Until now, Israel has been solely conducting molecular tests for the detection of novel coronavirus, which determines if the virus is active in a patient’s system. These tests have been found to have a 30% false negative rate.
Serological tests identify immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. The body quickly produces IgM antibodies for the initial fight against infection. IgG antibodies remain longer in the body, suggesting possible immunity.
Read more via The Jerusalem Post
