3rd November 2020
Healthcare firm Forth’s popular Covid-19 antibody testing kits are back online
A 98% accurate home Covid-19 antibody testing kit is once again available from award-winning Chepstow-based healthcare firm Forth. In May this year, Forth won the race to be the first company in the UK to bring home antibody testing kits to the public. After a brief pause, the tests, which are fully CE-marked and MHRA (Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) approved, are now back online.
Once purchased and home samples taken, the “finger prick” tests are sent to Forth’s accredited laboratory for analysis to check for the presence of Covid-19 antibodies which develop in the body after exposure to the virus, with the results being made available online within 48hrs. The tests show whether individuals have been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies regardless if symptoms have been displayed or not. The antibody testing kits can therefore help to remove uncertainty.
Across the UK Covid-19 cases continue to rise, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which said the latest data highlighted that around 52,000 people were catching the virus, with or without symptoms, every day up to last Friday – up from 35,000 the week before. The ONS said that in Wales alone one-in-120 people now have the virus.
This week a report from the United States found that Covid 19 antibodies that “neutralise” the virus can last within the body for at least five months for up to 90% of survivors. Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York tested antibody levels in more than 30,000 coronavirus survivors and found that about 70% of patients had high levels of antibodies, 22% had moderate levels and 8% had low levels.
In the report, published in the journal, Science, the research team said the findings show it is very likely that antibodies decrease the odds of reinfection and, if it does occur, severely weakens the disease.
Sarah Bolt, founder and CEO of Forth, leads the business supported by a professionally-qualified medical team who are leaders in their field, including Dr Nicky Keay (chief medical officer), Renee MacGregor (lead dietician) and Dr Michael Cornes (scientific officer).
Commenting on the reinstatement of Forth’s Covid 19 Antibody test kits, Sarah Bolt said: “With so much uncertainty and fear caused by the pandemic, home testing for antibodies is something everyone can utilise to better understand their own health.
“This in no way replaces the care and provision provided by the NHS and other health providers but complements those services and helps us plan our own health care with more knowledge than before.”
Sarah, who won Health and Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year for Wales at this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards, continued: “From the very beginning of this global crisis we were determined to make a positive contribution to both fight the disease and help people take some control back in their lives.
“The Forth team and our lab partners have worked around the clock to get these kits back on the market and ensure they are fully compliant within all stringent CE and MHRA regulations.”
It is recommended that interested buyers read all the information before purchasing. Forth have developed a comprehensive Q&A resource to respond to the public’s queries. The test kits retail at £69.
For more information visit their website.