Covid-19: Testing times for the government—but not for NHS staff

Cowper, Andy

doi:10.1136/bmj.m1433

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Little is known about the characteristics and transmission routes of the ongoing novel coronavirus, namely, COVID-19 [ 7 , 8 ]. Of particular note, information regarding the optimized precaution policy and measures is scarce, especially in the early stage [ 9 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protecting Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Peng

Shou

et al. 2020

BioMed Research International

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Objective. To understand how to implement proactive prevention measures among healthcare professionals for preventing potential nosocomial infection. Methods. 91 healthcare professionals confirmed with the COVID-19 infection were collected, and clinical characteristics and epidemiological data were evaluated. Results. Among the cases, 77 cases (84.6%) were confirmed by the viral nucleic acid test, and the other 14 cases were diagnosed by the clinical investigation. Ground glass opacity and bilateral shadows distribution were observed in 78 cases (85.6%). 56 cases (61.5%) were admitted into Zhongnan Hospital and subjected to antiviral treatment. 73 of a total of 91 cases (80.2%) with a median incubation period of 3 days (IQR, 2 to 6) reported close contact history with patients with the COVID-19 infection. The most common symptoms at the onset of illness were fever (66 cases, 72.5%) and cough (54 cases, 59.3%). The initial positive rate of the CT scan and RT-PCR assay were 84.6% and 48.4%, respectively (P<0.01). There were 50 cases occurred during the early stage (before Jan 20, 2020), whereas 41 cases occurred at a late stage (after Jan 20, 2020). In the early stage, the most common route of exposure to COVID-19 was via direct care in the absence of any invasive procedure. By contrast, 37 healthcare professionals infected with COVID-19 in the late stage were confirmed to have been exposed via aerosol-generating procedures. Conclusion. Identification of the asymptomatic individuals in healthcare settings and prompt response when a suspicious case is considered may render effective control of the nosocomial infection during this pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protecting Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Peng

Shou

et al. 2020

BioMed Research International

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“…However, within the month of February, the absence of isolation, quarantine and control tracing had further exacerbated the situation in United Kingdom (UK) leading to the upsurge of COVID-19 confirmed cases and number of critically ill patients overwhelm the healthcare system of the country. The SARS-COV-2 virus does not discriminate between social classes, nationalities, ethnicities or ideologies, as shown by the rapid domino effect of infections in UK government officials, even the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson succumbed to COVID-19 and was admitted to intensive care on 6 th April 2020 [6] . As of 21 st April 2020, more than 120,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16,000 deaths had been recorded in UK [1] .…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

PMMB COVID-19 Bulletin: United Kingdom (22nd April 2020)

Tan¹,

Letchumanan²,

Ser³

et al. 2020

Prog Micobes Mol Biol

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COVID-19 has greatly impacted the world and posed an enormous public health threat. The United Kingdom is hit harder by the COVID-19 crisis than any other European countries, besides Italy, Spain and France. The UK government has come under heavy criticism for its response to COVID-19, with lack of preparedness, shortages of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing. Despite the lockdown is in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, UK death toll continues to surge. As of 21st April 2020, more than 120,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16,000 deaths had been recorded in UK.

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“…Initial SARS-CoV-2 related testing relied on identifying the presence of the virus itself through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Typically, healthcare workers with COVID-19 symptoms are advised to isolate and get a COVID-19 swab antigen-based test to identify whether they are carrying the virus [ 5 , 6 ]. As antibody testing became more reliable and readily available, there has been an increasing interest in the use of antibody testing to identify whether an individual has developed antibodies to a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing has been rolled out rapidly across NHS staff to support the delivery of healthcare and to better understand the SARS-CoV-2 infection status among this essential workforce. Accordingly, a number of commentary and editorial pieces have been published in the scientific literature regarding the benefits and risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing [6,9,10]. However, there is currently a marked paucity of data from the individuals themselves having these tests and particularly from healthcare staff.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%