Experts have said that giving out “immunity certificates” to those who have had the virus is potentially dangerous.
Home COVID-19 tests will hopefully be administered to citizens soon.
Matt Hancock said last night that the UK, by the end of April, will conduct 100,000 Coronavirus tests a day. This would include a combination of tests, tests foe those who believe they’re infected and antibody tests for those who’ve potentially had it.
“We are looking at an immunity certificate – how people who have had the disease, have got the antibodies and therefore have the immunity, can show that and so get back, as much as possible, to normal life,” Mr Hancock said.
Kuwait has already rolled out a system that requires some form of proof the visitor is Coronavirus free, before they can enter the country. The UK is reportedly watching closely to see what other countries are doing.
But Professor Riley from the University of Edinburgh expressed beliefs that this is a bad idea because it gives people a “sense of false security”.
She continued: “it’s not something that we’ve ever done before. When we vaccinate people, particularly for certain diseases where they’re going to travel overseas… we give people a certificate saying they have been vaccinated,” she said.
“But that certificate doesn’t say they are immune and there’s a difference. We don’t know yet whether somebody who has had this virus is immune.
“They have antibodies, they’ve clearly been exposed, yet will those antibodies protect them against reinfection? I’m not sure that we know that.
“So to give a certificate saying somebody is immune, I think is actually quite dangerous because: A, we don’t know if it’s true and B, it could give people a slight sense of false security, where they start to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do.
“For the general public, saying you’re immune they will think ‘oh OK, I don’t need to worry anymore’ – and there will be people who will die as a result of that.
“I think it’s very risky and I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Other experts believe that the certificate issues will have people going out and “deliberately” trying to get infected, just so they can get back to a “normal way or life.”
The latest stats show that 2900+ people have passed away in the UK due to the virus, as confirmed cases around the world top 1 Million.
