The spokesman added: ‘There are pilots taking pl
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‘Hospitals in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Basingstoke and Southampton will be able to test asymptomatic NHS staff.’ Three of them - Southampton, Manchester and Basingstoke - are already able to start testing staff while the other four will be able to shortly.
The spokesman said new tests will also go to ‘care homes, schools and universities in the areas which have been hardest hit.’ Those tests can give a result in ‘potentially significantly less than an hour’ and have been compared to home pregnancy tests because of their ease of use.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday said the tests were showing ‘real promise’ - and revealed the government is investing in manufacturing capacity to produce them in the UK
The so-called ‘lateral flow’ tests could produce results in as little as 15 minutes, potentially reducing the need for contact tracing if they were conducted regularly.
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A source said the £15 test had shown 100 per cent specificity – the ability to correctly identify a positive sample; and 96 per cent sensitivity – the ability to correctly identify a negative sample.
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Anyone testing positive will have to have the result confirmed by a conventional swab test before they are asked to isolate.
The new tests could eventually be mass produced to provide millions of units per day. Ministers hope that in the New Year they could be used to allow some businesses, including theatres and sports stadiums to reopen without social distancing.
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