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The borough-wide surge testing taking place in Lambeth, Wandsworth, and a small area of Southwark, has now come to an end, with over 150k people stepping forward to take a test. So, what was it and what happens next?
The surge testing was launched after a significant cluster of cases was discovered in South London of the variant of concern (VOC) first identified in South Africa, known as B.1.351. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/surge-testing-to-be-deployed-in-wandsworth-and-lambeth
Although there is no evidence this variant causes more severe illness, there is some evidence it spreads more easily than other Covid-19 variants so it is one we want to keep an eye on and contain where we can.
For two weeks from April 12, all residents, workers and visitors in the boroughs were asked to take a Covid-19 PCR test, whether they had symptoms or not, in order to see if the variant had spread.
The response was phenomenal, with people going out of their way to queue up at testing stations or order home tests online. In total, over 150k people took a test, with around a five-fold increase in testing rates across the boroughs.
With every positive case found, we were able to cut off chains of transmission before they could occur by asking those individuals and their contacts to immediately self-isolate. We now need to learn if any of the positive cases were that of the variant B.1.351.
To do that we have been putting positive tests through whole genome sequencing, which takes around two weeks for each sample. Confirming if any more cases have been found will provide vital data to help us understand if and how the variant has spread.
We can expect to see more of these kinds of mass testing operations in London going forward. They will be vital in helping contain the spread of the virus as we continue to carefully lift restrictions across England this summer. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/surge-testing-for-new-coronavirus-covid-19-variants
So thank you to everyone who took a test in Lambeth, Wandsworth and Southwark and, if a surge testing operation is being run near you, don’t hesitate to get involved – you’ll be doing your bit to protect your friends, family and your community safe from Covid-19. #KeepLondonSafe
