NEW: The UK Is Taking Longer Than Other Countries To Process Coronavirus Tests — And That's A Big Problem For Contact Tracing buzzfeed.com/albertonardell…
While the UK government publishes an update every day on new positive cases in the previous 24 hours alongside the number of tests carried out in that period, it does not disclose when these new patients were tested
I repeatedly asked the government what the average turnaround was for tests but it it refused to provide an answer that question, and to when, on average, had patients in the daily stats for new cases been tested
The Department of Health aims to return test results within 48 hours of tests being taken at regional test sites, and within 72 hours for home tests.
It declines to say, however, whether these targets are being currently met.
It declines to say, however, whether these targets are being currently met.
This all matters because rapid testing turnaround is key to effective contact tracing.
@Jeremy_Hunt: "Rapid turnaround is a critical part of any test, track and trace strategy as you are aiming to quarantine people who could shed the virus quickly"
@Jeremy_Hunt: "Rapid turnaround is a critical part of any test, track and trace strategy as you are aiming to quarantine people who could shed the virus quickly"
On Monday, the Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake asked Boris Johnson whether the time taken to process results could be reduced from “the current five days to as little as 24 hours."
The PM said he was "completely right: speed of turnaround is crucial in improving our testing"
The PM said he was "completely right: speed of turnaround is crucial in improving our testing"
Hollinrake says the 5-dsay figure refers to some settings, such as care homes, where the lag is at times even more longer.
I put the claim to DHSC. Again, the department declined to respond.
I put the claim to DHSC. Again, the department declined to respond.
Data from other countries — such as Singapore, South Korea and Germany — which unlike the UK ramped up testing and contact tracing capacity early, while Britain went in a different direction, shows that the testing process in these countries is far quicker
There are two issues (and questions) here. The first is an issue of transparency. Like with contact tracing (buzzfeed.com/albertonardell…) there is a lot of data that other countries have no problems sharing, which, for some reason, the UK doesn't disclose
The second issue comes up again and again, and the government hasn't answered these questions with the thoroughness the matter deserves: why did the UK move away from mass testing and contact tracing in mid-March instead of ramping up capacity like others did?
Full story: buzzfeed.com/albertonardell…
