Coronavirus: NHS plans to reopen, hospital patients and staff ready to take a one-hour Covid-19 test quickly

Hospital patients and staff will soon be able to know if they have COVID-19 Within an hour under a national testing program developed by the government.

At the heart of the strategy is a small handheld device that can process samples in the field and detect viruses in non-invasive nostril swabs.

Secured “major” contract with a London-based medical company DnaNudge Earlier this month, the government ordered up to 20,000 “labless” devices. It will be installed in hospitals and clinics throughout the United Kingdom between October and March.

Each device can handle 10 to 14 cartridge tests per day. The cost of each test is approximately £40. Once all DnaNudge machines are delivered and installed, we have ample capacity for 280,000 tests per day.

This is essential for a reboot NHS Allows services, patients and staff to quickly evaluate before surgery and other procedures.

A source working on the project said: “By moving tests out of the lab, we can reduce latency. Some labs rely on older technology since the beginning of the pandemic.

“These tests have the potential to become a UK breakthrough. Everyone on the test network is asking how they can get it.”

Independent Understand that there is ongoing discussion between Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (DHSC), NHS, and 29 test networks in England. Extend this service to social care settings including GP.

Secretary of Health Matt Hancock I am grateful to the small businesses for their contributions to the country’s testing program, allegedly personally writing a letter to DnaNudge after the contract was secured.

The test is based on the design of a DNA test developed by a professor at Imperial College in London, and has been well-tested by medical professionals after being piloted in the capital’s cancer ward, A&E department, and maternity ward. It has been.

With its current goal, DHSC aims to return test results within 48 hours of a swab being taken by personnel at a local test site, mobile test site, satellite center, or NHS facility.

However, the government is now providing a “point of care” approach that complements Boris Johnson’s plan to bring the UK back to “normal” status by Christmas, while preparing for a possible second wave during the winter. Preparing the country.

The DnaNudge test, which requires no specific medical expertise, has a correct answer rate of over 98% and a specificity of 100%. That is, it always correctly identifies negative results.

You can also determine the difference between an unaffected person and a poorly sampled sample to rule out false negatives.

Once the swab is taken, it is inserted into a handheld reader and results are obtained in less than 75 minutes. This significantly reduces the 48 hour waiting time for laboratory diagnostics.

The trial will be first tested at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, West Middlesex University Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital, Queen Charlotte Hospital and Chelsea Hospital after approval for clinical use by the Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (MHRA) in April. it was done.

At that time, Professor Christoma Masou of Imperial College, who developed the test, said:

Importantly, this test moves directly from the saliva or nasal swabs to the cartridge and does not use shipping or the laboratory.

“You can also look at these small pieces of RNA (ribonucleic acid) to see if the patient is coming out of it or in Covid.”

“Imperial infectious disease professor at the Imperial College, who led the clinical development, said,” said Graham Cook. “This is one of the most exciting technologies I’ve seen in the field, especially as it eliminates the need for sample processing.”

Dr. Gary Davis, director of hospital medicine at Chelsea and Westminster, explains: “This test works and is actually more sensitive than some.”

He said the test was used to help inpatients decide which ward to place.

The government continues to explore other rapid testing techniques that can help revive the country, and this week announced plans to increase test capacity to 500,000 tests per day by the end of October.

The DHSC data show that the NHS pathology laboratory has an average test turnaround time of 12 hours and more than 95% of these results are less than 24 hours.

In contrast, only 2.4% of home test kits were returned within 24 hours.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services pointed out efforts to enhance the country’s inspection capabilities.

“The UK government continues to expand its coronavirus testing capabilities to protect vulnerabilities, support the NHS and ultimately save lives.

“This is a nationwide effort and we are proud to work with many partners on innovative solutions to increase capacity as needed.”