Testing targets for #coronavirus

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿" title="Flag of Scotland" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of Scotland"> 3,500 NHS tests a day by end April, with more via academic/commercial work

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿" title="Flag of England" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of England"> 100,000 tests a day by end April via NHS & commercial partnerships

Suggests Scottish capacity would need to almost treble to keep pace, if English target realistic

“Yes, I wish we could grow this capacity quicker”

FM @nicolasturgeon wants to keep expanding #coronavirus testing as long as additional screening is accurate

Here’s an example of the sort of academic partnership that may help with expansion of testing in Scotland https://twitter.com/uofglasgow/status/1245754621576065025?s=21">https://twitter.com/uofglasgo...

Scotland’s chief medical officer @CathCalderwood1 has previously warned that focus on testing could become a distraction

H/T @petermacmahon

https://twitter.com/itvborderrb/status/1245757676493123585?s=21">https://twitter.com/itvborder... https://twitter.com/itvborderrb/status/1245757676493123585">https://twitter.com/itvborder...

Current testing is only reliable in confirming if someone with #coronavirus symptoms has the disease

Both Scottish and UK governments hope a reliable antibody test that tells if you have had covid-19 will soon become available

Tests in Scotland are focussed on three priorities:

1. NHS workers
2. Hospital patients with symptoms
3. Others to help build up wider surveillance of virus spread

For England @MattHancock said on #r4today priority was hospital patients, then NHS workers