First report on antibody tests published

Early figures from antibody testing estimate up to 2,500 people could have had COVID-19 on the Isle of Man.

Government has published it's first interim report on antibody testing on Manx shores which give an overview of the first 3,800 tests carried out.

Early figures from the report estimate the prevalence rate of the illness stands at around 2.5 per cent, when including confirmed positive cases.

Officials go on to say that rate means between 1,680 and 2,520 cases of COVID-19 could have occurred on Manx shores at the height of the pandemic.

10,000 of the tests were purchased by the Department of Health and Social Care earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and analyse people's blood to see if they've had the illness.

Meanwhile, the average age of people who've been tested is 48 - with 2,691 females and 1,201 males tested with ages ranging between 10 and 96.

The report says this is likely to be due to the large number of health care workers tested at this stage which also explains the low average age.

Officials state that this report does not provide any conclusions and is a statement of the current results so far.

A link to the full document is available here.