Coronavirus test scandal: Is figure in the UK WRONG? Faulty swabs could fuel second wave
CORONAVIRUS testing has proved a scandal at several points during the UK epidemic, with lofty Government promises seemingly collapsing on more than one occasion. Could the UK's COVID-19 figure be wrong?
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Coronavirus test scandals have erupted more than once throughout the UK epidemic, as the Government sought to catch up with other countries in capacity. Since then, officials have briefly hit a 100,000 per day target, with Boris Johnson stating they would hit double that by the end of May.
Could the COVID-19 figure in the UK be wrong?
COVID-19 testing has a storied history in the UK, starting with the Government's slow response and most recently with their failure to consistently stick to set targets.
One of the scandals surrounding tests relates to accuracy.
Several issues have arisen with the most commonly used samples, which include possible false negatives.
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Now, the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) has warned between two or three people who fall ill with the virus will test positive.
They say three in ten tests may come back negative, which has fuelled fears a second spike could develop under the radar.
Those free of the infection may then spread the virus either outside or within a hospital setting, which could prove deadly.
While PHE has published papers on the accuracy of antibody tests, which may enter public circulation soon, it has not revealed how accurate its antigen tests are.
Antigen tests seek to understand whether the person receiving the swab has the disease after showing symptoms.
One of the determining factors in their reliability is the person performing the swab, as experts state some false negatives will vary by the techniques used.
In a letter to PHE Chief Executive Duncan Selbie, Dr Paul Donaldson, general secretary of the HCSA, expressed his "deep concern" at the potential testing flaws.
He said there was a "systematic lack of information" over the reliability of PHE's tests.
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Dr Donaldson said: "A wall of silence seems to have been erected around the issue, with only the occasional claim or hint emerging regarding the testing regime.
"Separately, statements by PHE officials and others place the incidence of false negatives somewhere between 20 and 30 percent.
"If confirmed, this is a worryingly high rate that raises the prospect of many infected individuals, possibly without symptoms, being passed fit to return to healthcare settings where they will transmit Sars-CoV-2 to colleagues and patients.
"If the chance of false-negative results is as high as reported then in our view, without repeat PCR testing to confirm a negative result, staff should not be told to return to a clinical setting where they would risk passing SARS-CoV-2 to vulnerable patients and fellow staff."
"This could become a particularly acute issue as the NHS plans to significantly increase its non-COVID work and wider lockdown measures are eased."
Free-roaming "negative" patients may become more of a risk as the population returns to work, creating new avenues for the virus to spread.
Boris Johnson recently announced non-essential retail would be allowed to open from June 13, with others to follow after.
Although they will have to abide by social distancing rules, developing crowds might become even more dangerous if peppered with COVID-19 positives.