At the same time, the Standard has learned that a brand new 10-minute test to discover if people have already had the disease and are immune to getting it again will be rolled out within days.
In key developments, ministers were briefed that testing carried out by the NHS and Public Health England was successfully raised yesterday to 7,500 a day, up from 5,000 a week ago, and will be increased further to 10,000 next week. Within four weeks, some 25,000 tests a day will be carried out. These tests disclose whether somebody is currently infected and require highly complicated laboratory processes.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a conference call with private sector labs who have developed the brand new test, which resembles the kits sold as home pregnancy tests. They indicate if people carry the antibodies that show they have had the disease and that their bodies are now equipped to fight it.
Together, the developments promise to transform the NHS’s ability to fight the virus and keep doctors and nurses at their posts. Downing Street has been stung by criticism of the level of UK testing, which officials say is already in the top three of the world league table.
Empty Europe during Coronavirus - In pictures
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Public safety is my top priority, and radically ramping up testing for coronavirus is a key part of our plan to protect lives. We are already among the best in the world for coronavirus testing and today we are launching a national effort to increase our testing capability even further.
“Our aim is to protect life, protect the most vulnerable, and relieve pressure on our NHS – so it is right that we prioritise testing for those most at risk of severe illness. We will always do the right thing at the right time, based on the best scientific advice, and will do whatever it takes to protect life."
Until now there has been no test to reveal if somebody is immune to Covid-19. Now tens of thousands of new kits will enable the NHS to identify staff who had the disease but did not show symptoms and identify medics and carers who can safely be deployed to visit elderly and vulnerable people.
Eventually the public will be able to take the test to find out if they are safe to return to work and perhaps also to visit elderly relatives, subject to strict precautions like hand-washing.
Read More
The Government is buying as many kits as it can but some are expected go on sale to the public. Labs in Surrey and Belfast are manufacturing several different designs, some of which resemble pregnancy tests. A pipette is used to measure a drop of blood onto a plastic stick, and a stripe appears in a window to indicate the result. They work by detecting antibodies - bundles of protein designed to bind to a specific virus and destroy it.
“The thing that would be transformational is a test that would tell us if someone has had coronavirus and has not showed symptoms,” chief medical officer Chris Whitty said recently. “Currently such a test is not reliable but it is being developed very rapidly.”
A source explained: “This is going to make a big difference to the ability of the NHS to find carers to help vulnerable and elderly people with far less fear of passing the disease on or of being infected.”
The separate lab test for whether someone is currently infected with Covid-19 is far more complex. Health professionals in labs look for evidence of the virus using a process that may take over a day. Private clinics are now offering their own tests for £375, with celebrities among those taking up the offer.