New antibody test kits for ongoing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus testing and immunity research are now being manufactured in Essex. Europlaz Technologies, based in Southminster, has signed an exclusive contract to manufacture antibody test kits.
While the existing SARS-CoV-2 swab test now being used by the government and health services can detect whether or not a person has the virus currently, it cannot tell if a person has had the virus previously and since recovered.
Antibody tests can provide near-immediate results about whether or not a person potentially has or has ever had SARS-CoV-2. As well as being very useful for key health workers in ensuring a safe return or continuation of their work, knowing generally who is or is not at risk of catching or spreading the virus will provide a much greater understanding of SARS-CoV-2 immunity. It will also assist with vaccine research and potentially the easing of some lockdown restrictions in the future.
Europlaz was selected to manufacture these test kits for several reasons, including their fast response to the initial approach, their expertise in medical device manufacturing and a demonstrable track record of engineering highly technical devices. Europlaz also had clear capacity to manufacture the kits within its facilities, having just built two additional Class 7 Clean Rooms – the industry standard for manufacturing medical devices.
Eddie O’Keeffe (Chairman, Europlaz Technologies) commented: “Thanks to our state-of-the-art resources, Europlaz will be able to put the components of the test kits together in approximately 20–30 seconds during the manufacturing process, potentially allowing us to manufacture millions of devices. We are incredibly proud to be involved in such a significant project protecting the health of our nation through the coronavirus testing process and we look forward to seeing health services and individuals reap the benefits of antibody test kits.”