Superdrug has stopped selling their coronavirus antibody testing kit due to high demand. They were priced at £69 ($85).
The pharmacy chain was the first chain to offer a Covid-19 blood test via its Online Doctor service, which allowed people to test if they had previously contracted coronavirus.
The test was produced by Abbott Laboratories, which has since released the following statement saying the test was for 'laboratory professionals only'.
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It said: "Abbott's Architect SARS-CoV-2 test was developed for use by laboratory professionals only.
"The Abbott test has been validated for use with a venous blood sample that is taken by a healthcare provider. The test is not intended for use as a home test and it should not be conducted with a finger stick blood sample.
"When used appropriately with a venous blood sample, the Abbott test has demonstrated 99.6% specificity and 100% sensitivity to detect IgG antibodies for patients tested 14 days after symptoms started.
"Abbott has been, and continues to be, very clear with our existing laboratory customers about the intended use of this test and that Abbott is unable to give any guarantees or make claims for the performance of our test if it is used with finger stick blood.
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"Abbott does not have any data to support that finger stick blood samples can be used with our test. The use of the Abbott name, our data and our materials by any companies in connection with these home tests has not been authorised by Abbott, and we regard them as misleading in that these sites imply Abbott condones the use of finger stick samples with our test.
"This is false and not correct. We took immediate action upon learning of this and have taken steps to have companies remove our name from their website and retract any misleading information relating to our test."
The £69 test included: instructions, an alcotip swab to clean the finger(s) you're using for testing, 3 lancets (needle devices for finger pricking), a tube for collecting your sample, a protective plastic wallet for the sample tube, a plaster for your finger(s), a label for filling out your details and a prepaid addressed envelope for posting your sample.
Samples would be posted back to Superdrug's UK-based, accredited partner laboratory, for a doctor to review the results and contact customers via a secure and confidential message in their patient account.
Superdrug doctor ambassador, Dr Zoe Williams, added: "It is great that Superdrug are offering the validated test to its customers.
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"There are however things to consider before taking it. Receiving a positive antibody test result does not confer immunity, and it is important that people understand a positive test result does not mean you can be any more relaxed with the required hygiene and social distancing measures as set out by the government."
According to Superdrug's website, the test is 97.5 percent sensitive and has 100 percent specificity, which means it will not give you a positive result if you do not have coronavirus antibodies.
Whether antibodies mean immunity is still unclear at the moment. If you have antibodies, then it is thought that you might have some level of immunity to coronavirus.
LADbible has contacted Superdrug for comment.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News, Coronavirus