Parts of the Midlands are set for new rapid coronavirus testing
Parts of the Midlands are set to receive new rapid coronavirus testing as part of the Government's plan to introduce mass testing.
The Department for Health and Social Care have confirmed that 600,000 lateral flow tests will be issued to over 50 directors of public health across England this week.
Each will receive a batch of 10,000 antigen lateral flow devices as part of a new pilot to enable them to start testing priority groups.
Weekly allocation of lateral flow antigen tests will be handed out following the initial 600,000 batch and will be equivalent to 10% of each region's population.
The areas in the region that are set to receive the lateral flow devices are:
Birmingham
Coventry
Dudley
Wolverhampton
Staffordshire
Nottingham City
Nottinghamshire
What is a lateral flow antigen tests?
A lateral flow antigen test is a new kind of technology that could be used to test a higher number of asymptomatic people. It would enable health officials to identify and isolate more people who are at high likelihood of spreading virus, and hopefully break the chain of transmission. Lateral flow devices do not require a laboratory to process the test.
How does it work?
It involves a hand-held kit and works in a similar way to a pregnancy test.
A swab is taken from the nose or throat, fluid from that swab then goes on one end of the kit, and a marking appears if you are positive for the virus.
The test takes just 15 minutes, and would allow even those who are asymptomatic to get tested and self-isolate if their test came back positive.
Last month, Nottingham recorded the highest seven-day infection rate in the UK - over 1,000 cases per 100,000 people. Since then the rate has dropped to 353.
Health bosses in the city have confirmed they've been approached to be included in the new testing programme for Covid-19.
They say they are waiting for more information from the Government and will work with partners in the city to understand how we could use this to benefit our communities.
Elsewhere in the Midlands, Staffordshire is also set to receive this new form of rapid testing.
The infection rate in the county is almost 60% higher than the average rate in England and health bosses there have welcomed the new tests.
It follows a pilot in which mass testing was rolled out in Liverpool last week. The new, rapid technology allows officials to detect this virus quicker than ever before, even in people who don’t have symptoms.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hopes by sending these tests out the Government and local public health officials can learn from each other.
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