Britons who have already have fought off the coronavirus could be given 'immunity wristbands', ministers last night confirmed.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted Number 10 was looking at the move at a Downing Street press conference tonight.

He told last night’s Question Time on BBC1: ‘When the science is good enough, we are looking at introducing something like an immunity certificate or a wristband that says “I’ve had it and I’m immune and I can’t pass it on and I’m highly unlikely to catch it”.'

German scientists have already announced they will roll out the certificates, to try and ease the country out of its draconian lockdown.

Discussing the prospect of introducing certificates, Mr Hancock said the evidence about the truth on immunity is not yet clear enough.

Fears have been raised that people can be struck down twice after reports in China and Japan of patients being reinfected.

Other scientists believe the evidence for immunity is convincing and even claim that it could be life-long.

Antibody tests are the only ones that can tell if someone has ever caught the deadly infection, which has struck almost 1million people worldwide.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted Number 10 was looking at the controversial move at a Downing Street press conference tonight

GERMANY TO ISSUE IMMUNITY CERTIFICATES AS PART OF PREPARATIONS TO CEASE LOCKDOWN 'Immunity certificates' are set to be introduced in Germany as part of preparations for the country to cease its lockdown. MailOnline reported earlier this week that researchers want to bring in the documents for citizens not at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. As part of Germany's fight against the virus, scientists are using antibodies in test participants to find out which of them have had the illness and healed. The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig, 41miles (66km) east of Hanover, is overseeing the project, Der Spiegel reports. The academic team plans to test 100,000 people at a time, issuing documentation to those who have built up an immunity. They will then use the information gleaned from the testing to assess how and when the lockdown should conclude. Researchers will utilise the data as they advise the government on when schools will be re-opened and mass gatherings permitted once again. Germany has repeatedly been praised for its rigorous testing regime, which has seen 100,000 people get swabbed every day across the nation. Advertisement

When someone gets infected with a virus their immune system must work out how to fight it off - it does so by producing substances called antibodies.

Patients who catch COVID-19 develop and store COVID-19 antibodies for their body to use to battle the life-threatening virus in future.

But Number 10 has yet to approve any antibody tests in the UK, despite promises the DIY kits would be ready for use by mid-April.

In the press conference tonight, Mr Hancock revealed nine firms were in the running to produce the 17.5million blood tests it had ordered.

Experts say screening for if people have already fought off COVID-19 - antibody testing - will be the biggest breakthrough in getting the country back on its feet.

In a stark warning, Mr Hancock said the evaluation of the kits - which rely on just a finger-prick of blood and can give results in ten minutes - was still ongoing.

He said some kits had failed, adding: 'In one case, a test that I am being urged to buy missed three out of four positive cases of coronavirus.

'That means in three-quarters of cases that test would have given the false comfort of sending someone with coronavirus back on the wards.'

In a comment suggesting officials still need to evaluate the kits further, he added: 'Approving tests that don't work is dangerous and I will not do it.'

Mr Hancock first promised antibody tests last week. MailOnline understands the process of validating kits should only take a matter of days.

Discussing the potential of immunity certificates, he added: [It] is an important thing that we will be doing and are looking at.

'But it’s too early in the science of the immunity that comes from having had the disease. It’s too early in that science to be able to put clarity around that.

'I wish that we could but the reason that we can’t is because the science isn’t yet advanced enough.'

Mass antibody testing could allow the UK to slowly ease its draconian lockdown, which senior officials have warned could last for months.

The regime would paint a clear picture on who has already caught the killer infection and is immune to being struck down again.

Half of the rapid fingerprick kits are being made by Guangzhou-based firm Wondfo and will arrive in Britain by the end of the week

The other million, which are reportedly being held-up, are being made by AllTest, a diagnostics firm based in Hangzhou

Belfast-based Biopanda Reagents posted an alert on its website to say the ban on all international orders was 'effective immediately'

WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST, AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO AN ANTIGEN OR PCR TEST? ANTIBODY TEST An antibody test is one which tests whether someone's immune system is equipped to fight a specific disease or infection. When someone gets infected with a virus their immune system must work out how to fight it off and produce substances called antibodies. These are extremely specific and are usually only able to tackle one strain of one virus. They are produced in a way which makes them able to latch onto that specific virus and destroy it. For example, if someone catches COVID-19, they will develop COVID-19 antibodies for their body to use to fight it off. The body then stores versions of these antibodies in the immune system so that if it comes into contact with that same virus again it will be able to fight it off straight away and probably avoid someone feeling any symptoms at all. To test for these antibodies, medics or scientists can take a fluid sample from someone - usually blood - and mix it with part of the virus to see if there is a reaction between the two. If there is a reaction, it means someone has the antibodies and their body knows how to fight off the infection - they are immune. If there is no reaction it means they have not had it yet. PCR TEST Antibody tests differ to a swab test, known as a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which aims to pick up on active viruses currently in the bloodstream. A PCR test works by a sample of someone's genetic material - their RNA - being taken to lab and worked up in a full map of their DNA at the time of the test. This DNA can then be scanned to find evidence of the virus's DNA, which will be embroiled with the patient's own if they are infected at the time. The PCR test is more reliable but takes longer, while the antibody test is faster but more likely to produce an inaccurate result. It does not look for evidence of past infection. ANTIGEN TEST Antigens are parts of a virus that trigger the immune system's response to fight the infection, and can show up in blood before antibodies are made. The key advantage of antigen tests is that it can take several days for the immune system to develop enough antibodies to be picked up by a test, whereas antigens can be seen almost immediately after infection. Antigen tests are used to diagnose patients with flu, as well as malaria, strep A and HIV. They can also be done using swabs. Advertisement

It would allow frontline NHS staff who are stuck at home - estimates suggest around a quarter of doctors are in lockdown - to get back to work.

But leading scientists warn the truth on immunity is still murky, with laboratory tests on monkeys proving they could not be reinfected.

Other experts have claimed similar coronaviruses also induce immunity for around three months - the UK is braced for a second wave of cases this winter.

And they warn that because the virus had never been seen before until the pandemic began in Wuhan in December more trials are urgently needed.

It comes after one health chiefs in one Chinese region revealed in February that around 14 per cent of coronavirus patients tested positive a second time.

Some researchers believe this is down to unreliable tests and are optimistic that people can become immune to the virus, called SARS-CoV-2.

MailOnline reported earlier this week that researchers in Germany want to bring in the documents for citizens not at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus.

As part of Germany's fight against the virus, scientists are using antibodies in test participants to find out which of them have had the illness and healed.

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig, 41miles (66km) east of Hanover, is overseeing the project, Der Spiegel reports.

The academic team plans to test 100,000 people at a time, issuing documentation to those who have built up an immunity.

They will then use the information gleaned from the testing to assess how and when the lockdown should conclude.

Researchers will utilise the data as they advise the government on when schools will be re-opened and mass gatherings permitted once again.

Germany has repeatedly been praised for its rigorous testing regime, which has seen 100,000 people get swabbed every day across the nation.

Swab tests are different to antibody tests and can tell if someone is currently infected.

British health chiefs have said they could give out coronavirus 'immunity' certificates like Germany to allow millions of Britons out of isolation.

Otherwise, there is no official way of keeping track of who has already battled the virus and has developed some form of immunity.

MailOnline has repeatedly asked officials to name which companies are in talks with the Government but has never been offered clarity.

One of these firms includes Derby-based SureScreen, which has shipped its tests to be used in Germany and Spain, among other nations.

The company has sent hundreds of the tests to a Public Health England laboratory in Oxfordshire earlier this week but has yet to hear back.

Another of the firms is known to be BioSure, an Essex-based manufacturer which has been asked to get ready to ramp up production.

But the company's chief executive warned it could take six weeks before it had any tests to sell to the Government because of the approval hold-up.

It is currently unclear if either business has heard anything from the Government about the success of their tests in stringent medical checks.

Last night it was revealed officials had already bought 2million antibody tests from two Chinese manufacturers - Wondfo and AllTest.

It is unclear if the two Chinese firms are included in the nine companies because officials will not name the makers.

Yesterday it was revealed that Belfast-based manufacturer Biopanda Reagents had opted to restrict sales to just UK healthcare providers.

MailOnline has also asked Biopanda Reagents whether it is in the running to provide antibody tests in Britain but has yet to hear back.