10M TESTS TO DEFEAT VIRUS
● Cutting-edge antibody checks out next week ● Clinical trials of new on-the-spot swab test
FRESH hopes that Britain can beat coronavirus have been raised by the Government’s unveiling of double-whammy testing to hunt down the disease.
Ten million antibody tests to discover if people have had the virus – and could therefore be immune – will be rolled out on the NHS from next week.
And clinical trials of an on-the-spot swab to confirm within 20 minutes those who are currently infected will begin today.
Both measures should significantly bolster the Government’s efforts to help Britain safely emerge from lockdown, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
He also revealed that preliminary antibody testing showed that one in 20 Britons – and nearly one in six Londoners – had already had coronavirus. Mr Hancock said: “Our testing regime
will be our guiding star – it’s the information that helps us to search out and defeat this virus.”
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock also vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in the hunt for treatments to vanquish the killer bug.
The Government agreed deals with pharmaceutical firms Roche Diagnostics and Abbotts Laboratories yesterday to provide the 10 million antibody tests over the coming months.
NHS and care home staff will be first in the queue for the blood tests to help provide reassurance as they work with coronavirus patients.
People shown to have had the disease could even be given immunity certificates as there is some evidence they may not be able to catch it again. Mr
Hancock said: “I can announce today that we have signed contracts to supply in the coming months over 10 million tests from Roche and Abbott.
“From next week, we’ll begin rolling these out in a phased way, first to health and care staff, patients and residents.”
But he admitted scientists do not yet know how much immunity from the disease can be gained from an infection or how long any immunity lasts.
He said: “I want to be frank with you about what we don’t know as well as what we do know. We’re not yet in a position to say that those who test positive in these antibody tests are immune from coronavirus.
“But, as our understanding of this improves, the insight these antibody tests provide will be crucial. They can help us to understand how our bodies react to coronavirus and how it’s spread across the country.”
The separate trial of on-thespot testing to see someone is currently infected with coronavirus will be tried on up to 4,000 people in A&E units, GP testing centres and care homes in Hampshire.
Known as the Covid-19 Lamp assay test or the loopmediated isothermal amplification swab, it can be processed on-site rather than needing to be sent to a lab.
This should mean that healthcare workers can, depending on the result, return to their shift or isolate on the same day they take the test.
This is different to the current PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which needs to be processed at different temperatures – meaning it takes longer to get results. There had been criticism that people had been waiting days – or even weeks – to get results.
If the pilot is successful, the test, developed by UK manufacturer Optigene, is expected to become the standard procedure for identifying the virus in the UK.Those testing positive could be immediately instructed to self-quarantine. And their family and friends could be offered the same check under the Government’s test-andtrace offensive.
Mr Hancock said: “Getting a test is important, but getting a quick result is important too.”
“I’m prepared to back innovative developments, even if they might never happen.
“I think it’s worth it, especially in these circumstances, to back things before you know for sure if they’re going to work,
and I make no apologies for that.” He added: “[The test] has already proven innovative in early trials and we want to find out if it will be effective on a larger scale.
“And we want to support companies like Optigene and others to develop these sorts of innovative products.
“We’ll monitor its effectiveness very closely and, if it works, we’ll roll it as soon as we can.
“This is just one of a number of innovative testing technologies that we’re pushing forward as fast as the science allows.
“I’ll leave no stone unturned.” Mr Hancock said the on-thespot test could be particularly useful for NHS staff. “It will enable health and care workers to carry on with their shift or immediately isolate on the same day, and could eventually offer the same benefit to the whole country.”
Some antibody tests had already been used in a study to estimate the spread of the virus throughout the population, he revealed.
“This has told us that around 17 per cent of people in London and around 5 per cent or higher in the rest of the country have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.This was based on a sample.
“But for the public at large to know whether or not they have had coronavirus, we need antibody tests at larger scale.” He hailed the roll out of the antibody test as an “important milestone” in building up the country’s capacity for testing the population.
He said: “History has shown that understanding an enemy is fundamental to defeating it.
“And our ingenuity and our brilliant scientists and our scientific curiosity are what will keep us one step ahead of this virus.”
BRITAIN will accelerate along the road back to normality when mass testing that can quickly identify who has been infected with coronavirus is available. We are on the verge of a double breakthrough.
Ten million antibody tests have been ordered that will reveal if someone has had the virus and could be immune.These will be available on the NHS from next week.
Meanwhile, clinical trials of an on-thespot swab test that promises to confirm an infection within 20 minutes start today.
A gold standard system of testing must be in place if the lockdown is to end and we are to avoid a horrific second spike in infections. This is not the time for foolish haste, not when a premature lifting of restrictions could trigger a public health disaster – but the elements of a testing regime we can trust are being put in place.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday revealed that preliminary antibody testing suggests about one in 20 people in the UK, and nearly one in six in London, has had the virus.