Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Blood test
Blood test - Credit: bestravelvideo / DepositPhotos - License: DepositPhotos
Health
Coronavirus
Covid-19
Sanquin
Ministry of Public Health Welfare and Sports
Wantai
Hugo de Jonge
coronavirus envoy
Feike Sijbesma
antibodies
herd immunity
Wednesday, 6 May 2020 - 10:15
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Dutch blood bank to test a million people for coronavirus

Sanquin ordered a million new test kits to test for coronavirus antibodies in blood- and plasma donors, the Dutch blood bank announced after a working visit from Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health and coronavirus envoy Feike Sijbesma on Tuesday. The tests produced by Chinese company Wantai were ordered by Sanquin, paid for by the Ministry of Public Health, and are available immediately, a Sanquin spokesperson confirmed to Nu.nl reports.

Sanquin is currently working with health institute RIVM to investigate the spread of the coronavirus, and the Dutch population's immunity against it. Last month the blood bank released the preliminary results of the first study of 7,500 donors. It showed that 3 percent of the Dutch population had antibodies against Covid-19, which means they had been infected with the coronavirus.

The first half of Snaquin's research showed that the Wantai tests produced good results, the organization said. These tests are extra useful because they can detect three different antibodies.

Sanquin will repeat the antibody tests on blood and plasma donors on a regular basis, to track the spread of the coronavirus and the immunity against it in the Netherlands. Next week 7,500 donors will be tested, the spokesperson said to NU.nl. Sanquin can scale up the number of antibody tests to 10 thousand tests per day if necessary, he said.

"This is a repeat study. There are no conclusive agreements about how long it will continue. For the time being, we will keep going until it is no longer necessary," the spokesperson said. The 1 million new tests will allow the organization to test for "months ahead", he said.

We hebben testkits aangeschaft, waarmee we een miljoen serologische testen kunnen uitvoeren. Hiermee kunnen we bevolkingsonderzoek doen, om inzicht te krijgen in hoe het #coronavirus zich verspreidt en hoe antistoffen zich ontwikkelen 👉https://t.co/pyHj7CSJNF @sanquin @rivm pic.twitter.com/fmpeXF7m5y

— Hugo de Jonge (@hugodejonge) May 5, 2020

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Banks can offer higher mortgages for greener homes from next year
  • Amsterdam delays implementation of house-swapping vacation rules to March 2024
  • Pikachu as Vincent van Gogh: Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum exhibit opens today
  • 71-year-old man stabbed, beaten to death by group in Rotterdam
  • Half of Netherlands residents will eventually be diagnosed with cancer
  • Netherlands is Europe's biggest importer of deforestation products

Top stories

  • 71-year-old man stabbed, beaten to death by group in Rotterdam
  • Half of Netherlands residents will eventually be diagnosed with cancer
  • Netherlands is Europe's biggest importer of deforestation products
  • TU Delft ranks in top 50 on 2024 Times Higher Education list; Six Dutch unis in top 100
  • Social housing rents could increase 5.8% next year; 4.9% increase in free sector
  • VVD under fire for pulling support for asylum distribution law

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content