Blog: Covid antibody testing kits and services – does your ad pass the test?

In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic we were inundated with ads for PPE and cleaning services, as businesses tried to ensure that their workplaces were Covid-safe and face coverings became more and more important in everyday life.

A few months down the line, and the nature of the ads we’re seeing has changed. We’re now receiving an increased number of queries about ads promoting Covid antibody testing services, so here’s an explanation of how we’re handling these ads and what you need to do to ensure that your ad complies.

First of all I think it’s important that we’re all clear about Antibody tests vs. Antigen tests, as these are easily confused.

Antigen tests are used to diagnose whether someone is currently infected with Covid-19 – they’re not used to tell whether or not the patient has been exposed to Covid in the past.

Antibody tests are used to try to determine whether a subject has been infected with Covid 19 in the past, by testing for antibodies that their immune system might produce to fight off the infection. They’re not used to diagnose a current Covid infection. 

Although we’ve not yet been asked to formally approve ads for antibody tests, we can advise that such services/products must be CE marked medical devices that comply with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency guidance.

It’s important that the advertising copy does not suggest that a positive antibody test means that the subject is now immune from Covid or that they cannot transmit Covid to someone else. In fact, the ASA ruled against an advertiser making similar claims.

That means that antibody tests may be of limited benefit to individual members of the public and if we are asked to advise on an Antibody test ad, we’ll be careful to ensure that the copy does not give a misleading (and potentially dangerous) impression about the usefulness of such services.

Katherine Borrett is Senior Clearance Executive at Radiocentre.