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UK to roll out new 90-minute Covid-19 test

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 03 Aug 2020, 03:12 am Print

UK to roll out new 90-minute Covid-19 test

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London: The UK government plans to facilitate hospitals, care homes and laboratories with quick testing kits able to detect the novel coronavirus disease within 90 minutes, to help the country deal with the pandemic better in the coming months.

According to reports, the new plan involves 5.8 million tests using DNA and 450,000 swab tests, said Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock.

"We’re using the most innovative technologies available to tackle coronavirus. Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will provide on-the-spot results in under 90 minutes, helping us to break chains of transmission quickly," Hancock said.

The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others," he added.

The UK government website read: "5,000 DNA ‘Nudgebox’ machines, supplied by DnaNudge, will be rolled out across NHS hospitals in the UK to analyse DNA in nose swabs, providing a positive or negative result for COVID-19 in 90 minutes, at the point of care. The machines will process up to 15 tests on the spot each day without the need for a laboratory."