Doncaster company working around clock after launch of Covid blood test kit

Abindgon Health, which is based in Bullrush Grove, Doncaster, is working in partnership with BioSure, the firm behind the first rapid self-HIV test, on the coronavirus kit.

Manufacturing centres in Doncaster and York are working to get as many of the antibody tests off the assembly line as possible.

The test requires a finger prick of blood and can provide results in 20 minutes.

In the UK, the rapid and successful rollout of Covid vaccines means officials are now hoping that individuals will be able to take a more proactive role in tracking the pandemic.

Antibody tests measure the levels of the immune cells produced by a person's body in response to the coronavirus – whether they caught it naturally or had a vaccination.

Understanding these levels could be a useful way to determine who needs booster jabs and who is or might become especially vulnerable should there be later waves.

The Covid antibody tests are priced at £32.95 for a single pack and for a family-of-four it is priced at £100.

As Chris Yates, Abingdon's chief executive has previously said, the test is imperative to monitor lowering – or as he describes it, 'neutralising' – antibody levels 'in the worldwide population to maintain the safety of the public and instil confidence in people as they return to normal life'.

Shares in the company soared on the back of the announcement from Abingdon.