Unilabs starts Covid-19 antibody testing in Switzerland

Geneva, 13 May 2020: Unilabs, the leading European diagnostic services provider, has begun performing serology testing for Covid-19 antibodies in Switzerland, adding more firepower to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Antibody testing helps identify people who have been infected by the virus, especially those who did not experience symptoms,” said Dr. Christian Rebhan, Unilabs’ Chief Medical and Operations Officer. “The detection of these antibodies informs treatment decisions and could help indicate if a person has gained possible immunity to the virus. Whether the person with antibodies is protected against a second infection still needs to be confirmed by ongoing studies.”

Antibody testing is the only way to reliably establish the percentage of the population that was infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus − albeit with a delay of a few weeks. The test identifies relevant antibodies in the bloodstream, evidence that the body produced an immune response to the disease. This is especially vital since many Covid-19 infections are mild or even completely asymptomatic, and patients may therefore not even be aware they were infected.

Unilabs has carefully validated the available test kits according to the highest standards, working with the Zurich Institute for Medical Virology and Geneva University Hospital, and is now able to offer reliable, highly specific, and robust antibody tests in Switzerland.     

Antibody testing does not replace RT-PCR-based tests for identification of acute infection.

Media contact:

Alistair Hammond, Director of Communications

e: Alistair.Hammond@unilabs.com

t: +44 771 773 0441

About Unilabs

Unilabs is one of Europe’s largest and fastest-growing diagnostics companies. It offers a complete range of laboratory, pathology and imaging services for patients all around the world. With 12,700 employees across 150 imaging centres and 250 labs in 17 countries, we perform close to four million lab tests a week – saving lives every single day.