Millions of school pupils are returning to classrooms this morning after two months of home-learning as phase one of Boris Johnson’s ‘one-way road to freedom’ begins today. Many secondary schools have implemented a phased return as students from different year groups begin Covid testing as well as following a number of other conditions brought in to … Read more
Japan tells China to STOP carrying out mandatory anal swabs on its citizens while testing for coronavirus because it is causing ‘great psychological pain’ Japanese citizens living in China have complained they received anal swab tests, which caused a ‘great psychological pain’ Tokyo has requested Beijing change the testing procedure – but has not received … Read more
Chinese authorities have labelled a viral video ‘fake’ after it purportedly showed people walking ‘like penguins’ following an anal swab to test for the novel coronavirus. Officials assured citizens that they would not waddle like the flightless birds after undergoing the medical procedure, which is being used in the country to screen COVID-19 cases. Some … Read more
Daily swabs could replace self-isolation: Lateral flow screening could end the need to isolate if you have been in contact with a Covid-infected person, research suggests Currently anyone in contact with someone with Covid is required to self-isolate But a study has found the scheme could be scrapped and replaced with tests Negative rapid lateral … Read more
Heathrow passengers today had a taste of the new normal as they underwent swab tests before boarding flights to the US. Passengers were seen flooding into the London airport this morning, despite more than 50 countries across the world imposing restrictions on UK travel after the identification of a mutant Covid-19 strain in Britain. However flights … Read more
All-clear for Covid-19 tests at home: Tens of millions of 30-minute virus swabs are set to be sent out… but you can only use them to confirm you need to isolate – NOT to make decisions on whether to mix with family and friends Rapid Covid test cleared for use at home – but with … Read more
Coronavirus swabs should be analysed in batches to speed up the Government’s lagging testing programme, experts say. The method, known as pooled testing, involves combining multiple swabs in a batch into a single test tube. If Covid-19 is not detected in the combined sample, all patients are presumed to be negative. If any viral particles are … Read more
A drive-in Covid-19 testing centre caused chaos as hundreds of people who were queuing for swabs were turned away after not being sent QR codes to confirm their appointments. People were unable to get a coronavirus test at the site in Catford, southeast London, yesterday because they were not in possession of a QR code. A … Read more
Covid tests will have to be rationed, Matt Hancock admitted yesterday. In a humiliating climbdown, he said a ‘priority list’ would ensure care homes, hospitals, schools and key staff had enough. In a torrid session in the Commons, the Health Secretary was also forced to admit the current critical shortages could drag on for weeks. … Read more
Trained sniffer dogs can detect coronavirus in human swab samples with 94 per cent success rate, study shows Researchers from Germany trained army dogs to sniff out infected samples Canines are known to be able to smell signs of various diseases and even cancer Dogs could potentially be used alongside laboratory tests to help stop … Read more