Coronavirus tests: What are antibodies and how could a test help life go back to normal?

Scientists are getting closer all the time to finding a vaccine for the coronavirus, but why are antibodies so important?

Testing has been talked about a lot over the last few weeks - with the government promising to make sure more and more people are tested for coronavirus - or the disease it causes, COVID-19.

But you now may be hearing a lot more about another kind of test - an antibody test.

That is because Public Health England - the government's advisor on all things health and safety - says it has approved a reliable antibody testing kit to see whether people have had coronavirus in the past.

It says the testing kit, developed by a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland, is a "very positive development" in the fight against the virus.

The government is now in talks to see if enough of the tests can be made in an affordable way.

This computer generated image of an antibody (seen in blue) shows the "Y"-shaped structure on it's way to attach itself to the virus (shown in green).

What is an antibody test?

An antibody test takes the form of a simple blood test - similar to when you have a small amount of blood taken from you so doctors can examine it to see how your body is working.

The test will look for microscopic molecules called antibodies in a person's blood.

Antibodies are tiny proteins that our immune systems produce in response to bacteria and viruses.

They seek out and identify these invading organisms, attach themselves to the substance to fight viruses and often block it from coming back.

It's this immunity from bacteria and viruses that scientists are hoping to find with the antibody test.

If a person has previously had the coronavirus, they are likely to have these antibodies in their blood, and could in theory, be immune from catching the virus again - but experts are still working to find out if that is 100% true.

Why is this so important?

Experts believe that many people may have had the coronavirus but only had very mild or no symptoms.

If they took an antibody test which showed they have had the virus, they could go back to work.

Without testing more widely, many people might be self-isolating for no good reason.

BBC health editor Hugh Pym said: "An antibody test for coronavirus has long been seen as an important part of the toolkit for plotting a route out of lockdown restrictions.

"If workers have already had the virus and gained immunity they are safe to go to work - especially health and social care staff."

The Department of Health and Social Care said an announcement on antibody testing would be made "in due course".

A spokeswoman said: "Antibody testing is an important part of our strategy to counter the spread of Covid-19 and to help us understand who has had the disease."