Two clinics have had adverts which claimed their Covid-19 antibody tests could show whether a person had developed immunity to the virus banned.
A paid-for Facebook ad for Corona Test Centre London, a test provider owned by XMedical Ltd, and a private health clinic in Solihull were both told not to run the ads any longer by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The paid-for advert featured an image of several socially-distanced people wearing overalls and face masks with the message “We are on a mission to safely get you back to your friends and back to work”.
Meanwhile, a page on its website, as seen in May this year, included the claim that “antibody testing will tell you if you’ve had the virus and developed an immune response”.
XMedical Ltd removed the ad from Facebook, Instagram and Google but argued its website was not an ad “because it was their home page and their consent page”.
According to its website, the antibody and antigen tests cost £120 each, while its Fit to Fly and PCR tests go for between £165-175.
The ASA said it considered the statement in the Facebook ad would be interpreted by readers to mean the tests “were capable of indicating whether or not someone could safely return to work and to social gatherings without fear of contracting or passing on the virus”.
It ruled the ads misleading after it found no information in either which explained that a positive antibody result did not mean that a person was immune.
In its ruling on Wednesday, the ASA said: “We considered that consumers were likely to understand from the ads that a positive antibody test would show that they were immune to Covid-19, and would enable them to get back to work and other normal activities without the risk of contracting the virus again or transmitting it to others.
“In summary, that the tests would indicate if they were immune.”
The ASA found that, as of July 13, Government guidance stated there was no strong evidence yet to suggest that those who had contracted the virus and to have produced antibodies were immune.
XMedical Ltd was told the ads must not appear again in their current form.
Meanwhile, the website for Solihull Health Check Clinic included a page which featured text stating it is offering tests with 100% accurate results within 24 hours, with text underneath stating “Public Health England and Government Approved”.
The ad, as seen on July 2, also claimed that its test could indicate whether a person has developed an “immune response” to coronavirus.
After complaints were made over the ad’s claims ASA, the West Midlands-based clinic said it only used the Abbott antibody test which has been found to demonstrate 100% sensitivity and 97.5% specificity.
The clinic said it did not claim to be endorsed by anyone but that it highlighted the test was approved by Public Health England, who are provided the results for inclusion into official testing statistics.
While the ASA accepted that the accuracy of tests could be evaluated in terms of sensitivity and specificity, it said neither of these terms were referred to or explained in the ad.
In its ruling published on Wednesday, the ASA said: “We considered that neither the sensitivity rate, nor the specificity rate, when used in isolation, were likely to conform with consumers’ likely understanding of “100% accuracy” as presented in the ad.”
It continued: “We noted that no information on variation of accuracy depending on when the sample was taken was presented in the ad.
“While the sensitivity results presented by different sources varied, they indicated that a negative test result did not rule out the possibility of a previous infection with Covid-19.”
It said the ad was misleading as it considered the claim “100% accurate results” an indication that the antibody test would detect, without fail and in all circumstances, whether or not a patient had contracted Covid-19, which was not substantiated by evidence.
The watchdog said it had not seen evidence that the Abbott antibody test had received endorsement from either Public Health England or any other Government body, which rendered the ad misleading on this point.
On the claim that the test could indicate a person’s “immune response”, the ASA said it was “technically accurate” but that it took into account “the wider context of the ad and public discussions around the importance of developing an antibody test which could indicate immunity”.
It continued: “A test which could indicate immunity to Covid-19 would have significant implications for the return to life before the pandemic and we therefore considered that advertisers should be very clear about the service they offered.
“We noted that there was no information in the ad itself which explained that a positive antibody result did not mean that a person was immune.
“We therefore concluded that the impression given by the ad, that the tests would indicate whether consumers were immune to Covid-19, was misleading.”