Daily coronavirus tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, as part of a new government-backed study.
Led by the UK Health Security Agency, it is hoped that the study could provide evidence to help to reduce the length of time people who are contacts of positive cases need to self-isolate, as parts of the economy and society reopen through the roadmap. A reduction in the period of self-isolation from 10 days could help prevent individuals having to miss work, while allowing people to continue to safely participate in society.
Currently, anybody who has been notified through NHS Test and Trace as a contact of someone who has tested positive must self-isolate for 10 days. For those contacts without symptoms, the new study aims to find out if people can replace the need to self-isolate by taking a test every day instead.
The launch of the England-wide exercise builds on the research pilots taking place in businesses, hospitals and schools. Since December, more than 200 schools, 180 workplaces and over 800 individuals have participated in daily testing pilots, which have proved effective in reducing the need for people to self-isolate, while detecting cases of coronavirus that would not have otherwise been found.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “With around one in three people not showing any symptoms, regular testing is already playing a critical role in helping us reclaim our lost freedoms – quickly spotting positive cases, helping identify new variants and squashing any outbreaks.
“At every stage of this global pandemic, the British public has stepped up and made huge sacrifices – including self-isolating when they are asked. This new pilot could help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation for people who are contacts of positive Covid-19 cases, and one that would allow people to carry on going to work and living their lives. Alongside the phenomenal progress of our vaccination rollout – with over 48 million vaccines administered so far – rapid testing is allowing us to get back to doing the things we all love.”
The study will begin on 9 May.
