NEW quick home-test coronavirus kits might not be accurate, health experts warned today.
Public Health England said that they wouldn’t recommend using rapid tests as “it’s not known whether a positive or negative result is reliable”.
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Several manufacturers are looking to try and roll out rapid testing kits for Covid-19 for use in pharmacies or at home in the coming weeks.
The products look for the virus or test the body’s immune system response – and can include plasma samples or a blood prick test.
But there is “little information on the accuracy of the tests” at the moment, PHE warned.
They said today: “The current view by PHE is that use of these products is not advised.
“PHE has developed and deployed a test which is being used across a network of 12 labs in addition to tests undertaken by the NHS to increase capacity.
“We do not currently endorse anything else but we will evaluate commercial tests as they are developed.”
Up to 2,000 tests are being processed every day, and the “vast majority” take between 24 and 48 hours.
But up to 10,000 people could have the virus but do not know it at the moment, experts said last week.
The news comes as:
- The UK death toll yesterday shot up from 11 to 21 and there are now 1,140 positive cases for the disease
- Hancock confirmed that elderly people would be told to stay inside “in weeks” as the crisis continues
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Spain and Italy are on a 15-day lockdown with flights cancelled and tourists told to ‘stay indoors’
- The Health Secretary couldn’t guarantee that everyone who needs a ventilator will get one – as the PM asked Rolls Royce and JCB to build more
- The Queen has quit Buckingham Palace over coronavirus and has been whisked off to Windsor castle
- Pubs and restaurants could be shut like in Italy to stop the spread, as Matt Hancock refused to rule out extreme measures
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Hotels will be turned into hospitals and operating theatres packed with beds
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Families will be told to self-isolate together if just ONE shows symptoms
It comes after the Government said last week they wouldn’t test everyone who showed symptoms of the virus.
Instead the NHS will prioritise people who most at risk, with the aim to save as many lives as possible and protect the vulnerable.
The NHS has ramped up its swab testing in the past week, with plans to step up capacity to 10,000 a day.
Some people have reported waiting up to a week for their results – but the rapid tests are thought to get results in just 10 minutes.
Channel 4 reported that one unnamed company was preparing to ship out the tests in the coming days.
They will first be handed out to pharmacists to test their own staff, before being rolled out to general public.
Joachim Pereira from PharmaDoctor told the programme: “We are working with the manufacturer partner of ours to credit the test and get a notifiable body to give them a necessary certification so that we can provide it to the public, through the pharmacy channels, so making the tests available to be sold in pharmacies.
“Either online pharmacies or our pharmacy customers.”
Yesterday a batch of fake coronavirus testing kits were seized at Los Angeles Airport.
