No positive results after 250 students tested for Covid-19
ENCOURAGING START TO LATERAL FLOW TESTS AT UNIVERSITY OF HULL
HUNDREDS of students at the University of Hull are having lateral flow tests for coronavirus.
Mass testing for all students at the campus began yesterday morning after a ten-day operation to turn part of a sports hall into a fully functioning clinical testing centre.
Manned by volunteer staff and students, it will open between 8am and 6pm each day until December 9, before reopening for a final one-off session on December 13 for student nurses and doctors currently on placements away from the university.
Initial results from yesterday’s opening session were promising with no positive tests being recorded from the first 250 students s – with 840 expected.
All those taking part will have a follow-up test within three days in an attempt to ensure they are e Covid-free before returning home e for Christmas.
First year medical student Olivia a Kembery, 18, was among those e taking a self-swab test yesterday.
She said: “I knew what to expect t so it wasn’t that bad.
“There was a bit of discomfort and d it brought a tear to my eye, but t I am sure it’s going to be e worth it. I think it’s s important to have e a test.
“I was looking g forward to coming to university but I suppose it hasn’t been like it should have been. There are some people on my course that I’ve never actually met.”
Kevin i Oxley, l head h d of f technical h i l services at the campus, was asked to organise the testing operation after the university was contacted by the Government just over a week ago.
Normally, his responsibilities include ensuring the university’s laboratories and buildings all run smoothly.
He said: id “I got the h call ll ten days d ago asking if could help out.
“My background is in biomedical science and I was trained in NHS labs, so it gave me some idea of what was needed, but it has still been quite a hectic turnaround.”
Staff and students volunteered to manage the who testing process all received training over the weekend to prepare them for the sessions.
The pregnancy test-style asymptomatic test takes samples from the throat and delivers a result within 30 minutes.
Anyone who tests positive is notified through the NHS Test and Trace system. They will then be asked to self-isolate for ten days.
Mr Oxley said: “A lot of hard work has gone into this from an organisational point of view.
“Turning a sports hall into a sterile testing clinic with all the necessary social-distancing rules in place has been a challenge, but it seems to be working well so far.”
Similar testing featuring lateral flow kits are expected to be rolled out by council public health teams in Hull and the East Riding over the next few days.
The tests are scheduled to be carried out in targeted settings, such as care homes, schools, colleges and workplaces.
Turning a sports hall into a sterile testing clinic has been a challenge
Kevin Oxley