What is a COVID-19 antibody test and why did you ask me to take one?

Antibodies are made by the immune system to fight infection. A COVID-19 antibody blood test will identify whether you may have had COVID-19. We will use the result of the test to help us better understand how many 1970 British Cohort Study participants may have been infected with the virus which causes COVID-19, whether they realised it at the time or not.

We don’t know yet if having antibodies gives someone long-lasting protection from the virus. The results of this study may be able to help guide public health policy and the government’s plan for its antibody testing strategy.

Other research studies in the UK also asked their participants to complete the same antibody test. Analysing the information from the 1970 British Cohort Study, alongside these other studies, will give us a better understanding of how many people may have been infected with COVID-19 and why some people develop severe disease.