THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR

SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.

WE know there are issues with the testing system, so scientists from all corners should stop criticising whilst offering zero solutions.

The key question is how do we fix it? At my network of cancer centres, we are working with a new organisation called Halo Verify to test all of our staff’s saliva for the virus every week. It’s proven, cheap and easy to do.

Many of our patients are particularly vulnerable to the virus, so keeping the virus out of Rutherford’s buildings is absolutely crucial. This is a brilliant way of doing that.

On Tuesdays all of our staff give their sample and we have the result back the next day. It’s a great system and helps give patients the reassurance they need to continue or start vital treatment.

Temperature checks, distancing, all the usual methods are useful but we also need the virus check as well. The saliva test also doesn’t require an intrusive swab up the nose, which can be so tricky to administer properly. It also compromises the accuracy of the test and puts the health professional at risk from generated aerosol. Spitting into a small tube couldn’t be easier.

The average cost of a swab test is £ 100 – the saliva test is far cheaper and just as effective.

Money is currently no issue for the Government, but sooner or later that will have to change.

Having a working testing system couldn’t be more important, especially as we move into winter with all the usual coughs and colds.

Halo’s young team of scientists are capable of rapidly scaling up operations.

Ministers should embrace this new technology and allow it to be part of the solution nationally.