Rapid testing coming to county
NEW Covid-19 tests that return results within an hour are coming to Staffordshire.
The “lateral flow” tests use similar methods to pregnancy tests and do not need to be sent to a lab.
They have been available for Merseyside residents and workers since Friday, having gone through a successful pilot scheme there.
And now Staffordshire County Council has confirmed it has signed up to bring in the tests.
The authority has also urged people with lesser-known symptoms (listed below) to get tested.
Council health chief Dr Johnny Mcmahon said: “The Government is looking to expanding testing and in Staffordshire we are committed to taking every opportunity to stop the spread of infection.
“By widening our offer of testing, we can identify more people who have the virus and need to self-isolate, which in turn stops the spread of infection and reduces the number of cases.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said initially 10,000 tests per area would be sent out to councils. He said: “I can confirm that we are rolling out the sort of mass testing that we are seeing in Liverpool – and indeed we earlier piloted in Stokeon-trent – across 66 different local authorities.
“I wrote to the directors of public health of all local authorities in England, saying that we could make available these brilliant new lateral flow tests that give you the result in 15 minutes.
“Sixty-six expressed an interest in the first instance, I’m now expecting a whole load more.”
Government advice is anyone who has a new, persistent cough; high temperature; or loss of taste or smell should self-isolate and get tested.
But Staffordshire residents are now being asked to consider a precautionary test if they have a raft of new symptoms.
They are:
■ Headaches
■ Aches and pains
■ Feeling very tired for no apparent reason
■ Sore throat
■ Runny nose
■ Sneezing
■ “Tummy ache” in children People with any of these symptoms can carry on going to school or work if they are well enough to do so and only need to self-isolate if the test comes back positive, the council says.
Dr Richard Harling, the council’s director of health and care, said: “We are learning that people can show a variety of symptoms, so we think it make sense for anyone who has these other symptoms to think about if they want to get tested as a precaution.
“There are a number of testing sites across Staffordshire and Stokeon-trent which can be booked online. The testing sites are currently showing good availability.”
Anyone who wants to book a test can do so at www.nhs.uk/ coronavirus
Derbyshire is not taking part in the next batch of Liverpool-style mass-testing roll-outs.