MANY hard-working, increasingly worn-out parents cautiously rejoiced this week with the news that their children could well be heading back into the classroom on 22 February. As part of mooted plans for a phased reopening of Scottish schools announced by the First Minister, the move will include all pupils in P1-3 as well as pre-school children, not to mention a very limited number of secondary pupils.

Unsurprisingly, this return is dependent on the virus continuing to be suppressed and will necessitate what Nicola Sturgeon has called a "significant expansion" of testing in schools and nurseries in the coming weeks. Such a prospect will no doubt place added strain on already pressured teaching staff, but protecting the safety and wellbeing of all those in the school environment, while minimising further disruption to children’s education, is vital to our gradual emergence from COVID-19.

It is here that clinically validated Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) can be both practical and effective. Simple to use, they do not require specialised lab equipment and work in a similar manner to an everyday pregnancy test, providing rapid results. It is an inexpensive and efficient solution that can be used in a community, workplace, home, or indeed educational setting.

LFDs can test either for active infection or antibody immune response, whether from vaccination or prior exposure to the virus. Both these types of test have a significant role to play in response to COvid-19 and must be considered in any phased return to Scottish classrooms.

Paired with sufficient training in educational settings, the deployment of accurate LFD antibody tests could make a positive impact in the fight against Covid-19.

However, it is the wider implications for Scottish society that are perhaps most noteworthy. The use of reliable antibody tests represents a significant stepping-stone to restoring individual confidence, freedom of movement, mobilising the economy, and thus paving the way for a return to normality. Restoring children safely to classroom education is of course a major part of this pathway.

At Scottish Health Innovations (SHIL), we believe that the Coronex lateral flow antibody test – developed and proven in Scotland since April 2020 with our involvement – offers an accurate and effective, at scale solution to support expanded testing in education.

The Coronex test particularly has been demonstrated to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with high accuracy and importantly can be adapted rapidly to detect antibodies to new mutations. Monitoring antibody response to infection and vaccination is important if we are to rebuild confidence, better understand the virus and eventually embrace a new normality.

Bringing together expertise from across NHS Scotland and the biotech sector, it is also a great example of Scottish-led pioneering healthcare innovation, where the NHS collaborates with industry through SHIL for both health and economic benefit.

Amid an increased focus on testing, we are working hard to progress our innovation into early clinical use and believe that the Coronex test can play a vital role in the fight ahead.

While the prospect of a return to classrooms this month is still a tentative one, the accompanying requirement for accurate, reliable, simple to use antibody testing is clear – it remains a must.

Graham Watson is executive chairman of Scottish health innovations