Wales ready for coronavirus test surge, says lead scientist
Wales may have so far had few confirmed cases of Covid-19, but officials are taking no chances, predicting a peak in the coming weeks. Adam Hale took a tour of the University Hospital of Wales’ coronavirus testing unit
WALES’ Covid-19 testing centre is prepared for a surge in cases in the coming weeks, its lead scientist has said.
The Wales Specialist Virology Centre is at the heart of the operation to detect the disease in samples provided by the Welsh public who are suspected of having novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The centre, based at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, is dealing with on average 50 samples a day sent from around the country, but those working around the clock in its laboratories are bracing themselves for a further increase as the virus continues to spread across the UK.
Jonathan Evans, lead biomedical scientist and operational manager, said the outbreak was the “fastest evolving situation” of his career and, despite anticipating a surge in cases in the coming days, he said his team was prepared to meet the challenge.
He told the PA news agency:
“We’ve put things in place to be able to deal with the testing and the surge that is going to come.
“The numbers are now obviously starting to increase.
“And so we’re now having to make sure that we have all the resilience and robustness required to deliver the service going forward.
“We’re routinely looking at around 50 cases a day, but we’re all aware that number is going to increase significantly over the next few weeks.
“And there’s no doubt in my mind that we and all the teams involved will be ready for that.
“It’s a challenge as a virologist you hope never happens, but one you always prepare for as well.
“One of our mantras is hope for the best, plan for the worst.”
Mr Evans said discussions had been ongoing regarding increasing the number of staff at the Public Health Wales-run testing centre to deal with the increasing cases number of cases, which have included bringing back recently retired scientists.
The virology centre tests mouth swabs which have been sent out to the homes of people suspected to have the virus, with more than 90% of tests in Wales having been carried out in patients’ own homes.
Mr Evans said it takes around three hours from beginning to test the swab to detecting if a person has the virus.
A specialist contact centre has also been set up in Public Health Wales’ offices in Cardiff to deal with cases of people who may be infected, and trace those who have come into contact with people who have tested positive.
Workers from the NHS body’s various departments, from admin staff to clinical practitioners, are filling in and manning phone lines in order to deal with the extra demand.
Michelle Lewis-Marden, a business support manager who is now acting as a tactical incident manager, said: “Everybody is helping out and mucking in. Everyone is volunteering to do this work and the camaraderie is fantastic.”