Werlabs, which works with different types of health checks, is behind this corona test. But the test itself comes from the American drug giant Abbot - and the reliability of the test should be at 99.6 percent.
Werlabs writes on its website that it is a new antibody test that is performed with venous sampling.
Receives referral for sampling
The test will mainly be aimed at, among other things, medical personnel, police and rescue services - but also private individuals will be able to test themselves.
- If you want to test if you have undergone covid-19 and have formed antibodies, you can order a test through us. You then receive a referral for sampling, which takes five minutes, and then you have the answer within two to four days. However, it is important to add that healthcare professionals are our priority now, says Werlab's Sales and Marketing Manager Johan Carrick to DN.
On Werlab's website, they write that they should have been symptom-free for 14 days after the onset of symptoms in order for the results to be more reliable, and to reduce the risk of spread. Werlabs also writes that the price for the sampling, SEK 750, gives them cost coverage but that it does not generate any profit.
The goal is to perform 100,000 tests a week, which is the delivery that pharmaceutical giant Abbot promised to deliver to Werlabs. The tests will be conducted at 50 sampling sites in Sweden.
Will share data with the Public Health Authority
Werlabs writes that they will share anonymized data with the Public Health Authority. State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell tells DN that they are happy to share the results at group level.
- At population level this works just fine, it gives a minimum level of how many are immune in a population. There, these tests are really good. The problem is what it means for an individual, we don't really know that yet, he tells the newspaper.
Due to the current state of knowledge, Tegnell discourages private individuals from the test.
- We have not yet landed in that there is enough knowledge to make a good interpretation of these responses at the individual level, he tells TT.
The companies claim that they provide reliable answers at the individual level, with validations of almost 100 percent?
- Yes, that is certainly true. They can show which ones have antibodies. The question is what do these antibodies mean for how the individual can behave and the risks for the individual and its environment. This is where knowledge in the world has not really landed yet, ”says Tegnell.
As a private person, how do you think if you want to find out if you had covid-19 or not?
- You have to actually take and wait, because the state of knowledge is not clear yet.
SVT News has sought Werlab's CEO Henrik Forsberg.