Coronavirus testing: How does it work and am I eligible?

Cardiff City Stadium has opened as the first of what the Welsh Government hopes will be numerous coronavirus testing centres across Wales.

The health minister said three more are "likely" to be built at Rodney Parade in Newport, in south west Wales and in north Wales in the next seven to ten days.

The aim is to have a network of centres that enable people to travel to be tested within 30 minutes of their home.

Three smaller community testing centres in north Wales were shut down in March after just a week, with some being criticised for their location.

A testing centre has been set up at Cardiff City Stadium. Credit: Lee Smith

Who can get tested at the centres?

The testing centres will initially prioritise health and social care staff and rolled out to other critical workers including police and prison officers and members of the fire service.

Most of the centres will able to test around 200 people a day. There are 438,000 critical workers in Wales according to the Welsh Government.

How do I get a test if I'm a critical worker?

Critical workers can only attend a testing centre if they have been invited to do so.

The health minister said those who need a test will be identified by their employer and given a time-slot to attend a testing centre.

The Welsh Government aims to meet its target of 9,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April.

How are people tested?

There are two types of tests for coronavirus. An antigen test involves a swab and can tell whether an individual has coronavirus or not. This is the test being used at centres like Cardiff City Stadium.

The Welsh Government is looking at delivering at-home antigen tests for people to test themselves.

The other type is an antibody test, which can tell if someone has had coronavirus and whether they have some level of immunity.

This kind of test is not yet in use in the UK, and the health minister said the four nations are looking to find a reliable antibody test that can be rolled out.

Vaughan Gething said: "Understanding the latter will take time, but will no doubt play an important role in how we return to a new normal."

Britain is contributing an additional £210 million of funding to find a vaccine for coronavirus. Credit: PA Images

Are there any treatments or vaccinations for coronavirus?

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for coronavirus, though researchers across the world are racing to develop both.

Experts seem to be in consensus that a vaccine is the ultimate exit strategy from the disease.

It is hoped a vaccine may be given emergency approval before the end of the year, but most scientists agree that it will be around 12 months before one is widely available for use.

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know