Scottish scientists create new test to find out if you've had the Delta variant of Covid-19
It can tell the difference between antibodies from a vaccine or infection
Last updated 16th Jun 2021
Scottish scientists based at the University of Aberdeen have developed a new antibody test which can tell with 98% accuracy whether people been exposed to Covid-19, including the Alpha and Delta variants which were first identified in Kent and India.
For the first time, the new tests can be used to estimate the prevalence of circulating variant strains in the community and which are only 60-93% accurate and cannot differentiate unique variants.
The test was developed in collaboration with biotechnology group Vertebrate Antibodies Ltd and NHS Grampian.
Covid-19 test shows how long immunity lasts
The tests can also assess the long-term immunity of an individual and whether immunity is vaccine-induced or is a result of previous exposure to the infection – information that is invaluable in helping to prevent the spread of infection.
In addition to this, the tests can also provide information that can be used to estimate the duration of the immunity provided by the vaccine as well as the effectiveness of the vaccine on emerging variants.
This is an improvement on the currently available tests that struggle to detect variants and give little or no information on the impact of virus mutations on vaccine performance.
New test can detect Alpha and Delta Covid variants
Professor Mirela Delibegovic from the University of Aberdeen and academic lead on the project explains: “Accurate antibody tests will become increasingly important in the management of the pandemic and this is a truly game-changing technology with the potential to dramatically change the trajectory of global recovery from the pandemic.”
As we move through the pandemic we are seeing the virus mutate into more transmissible variants such as the Delta variant whereby they impact negatively on vaccine performance and overall immunity. Currently available tests cannot detect these variants. As the virus mutates, existing antibody tests will become even less accurate hence the urgent need for a novel approach to incorporate mutant strains into the test – this is exactly what we have achieved.
“Looking ahead, discussions are already underway to explore a possible roll-out of the tests to the NHS which we hope to see happen soon.”
Funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office Rapid Response in COVID-19 (RARC-19) research programme, the team used artificial intelligence called EpitopePredikt, to identify specific elements, or ‘hot spots’ of the virus that trigger the body’s immune defence.
As well as Covid-19, the EpitoGen platform can be used for the development of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for infectious and auto-immune diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes.
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