Superdrug are charging a whopping £70 for a “at home” coronavirus antibody test, and have been accused of “playing on people’s fear.”
There is growing scepticism over the accuracy of the test results, but the pharmacy chain says, the test can detect the virus antibodies in 97.5% of cases.
The test works by pricking your finger at home and blood drops are collected in the viral and they are sent off to a laboratory.
Yvonne Fovargue, who chairs a parliamentary panel on consumer protection said, “£70 with postage for a test which is not completely accurate seems excessive.
“Superdrug seems to be playing on people’s fears and that’s not right. What people really need is a readily available, easy to use test that’s accurate.
“They deserve nothing less.”
A spokesman for Superdrug said, “The price is reflective of the cost price that we pay for the testing.”
Abbot who are the manufacturer of the antibody test have said it should be used only by a medical professional.
Abbot said the test has a 99.6% specificity rate, when a medical professional takes the blood, but they concluded over how efficient it will be if used at home.
A spokesman said, “The test is not intended for use as a home test and it should not be conducted with a finger stick blood sample.”
Professor Adam Finn, of the University of Bristol said, “Until we know how strong and long-lasting immunity is after infection, it is hard to know what to do about the results of these tests, even if the tests are reliable.
“So, the bottom line is: don’t spend money and time on any test unless you have a very clear idea of what the result does or does not mean for you.”
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