There has been much debate and controversy surrounding the UK test and trace policy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through these challenging times we have seen a focus on expanding the capacity for COVID-19 testing and the requirement for faster turnaround of results.<\/p>\n
As the pandemic took hold, traditional laboratory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing capacity struggled to keep pace with the surge in demand. Capacity has much improved and PCR test results are now more than 240,000 a day although in only as many as 50% of cases, results are received within 24 hours.<\/p>\n
During the summer, the government suggested by early 2021 more than three million tests a day would be available, driven by scientific recommendation. What will enable this increase in capacity is Point of Care Testing (PoCT).<\/p>\n
The technology for PoCT has evolved rapidly over the past decade and its advantage is that the test can be performed anywhere, without the need to send a test to a laboratory. PoCT is used widely in infectious diseases, diabetes, cardiology, critical care, fertility, haematology, and general health screening. Relatively inexpensive, PoCT delivers results quickly and accurately and is complementary to hospital and laboratory testing.<\/p>\n