New Covid tests can identify if you’ve caught mutant variants, NHS says

NEW Covid-19 tests will be able to detect if you’ve caught a mutant variant, the NHS has stated.

As part of the Test & Trace system already in place across the country, the new tests are set to help suppress the spread of variants of concern.

Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates…

PA

New Covid tests will be able to detect if you have contracted a mutant variant of coronavirus[/caption]

The technology is currently being trialled in NHS Test and Trace labs and is called ‘genotype assay testing’.

Health officials have said that it will cut the time it now takes to identify whether or not a positive Covid-19 test contains a variant of concern.

This, the Department of Health said, could be used alongside standard Covid-19 testing, in a bid to identify cases quicker.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown can only be completed if variants of concern are kept under control.

In recent months surge testing has been rolled out in various areas after cases of variants such as the South African variant and the Brazilian variant were detected in the country.

The new technology will help keep variants under control by detecting cases before they are able to spread in the wider community.

It was also today reported that every adult in Britain will be asked to take a Covid swab test twice a week to help the UK exit lockdown.

Testing chiefs will be encouraging the public to swab themselves more often in the hope of identifying people who are positive but don’t have any coronavirus symptoms.

In order to drive down the spread of the virus, Brits will be urged to “play their part” and get regular swab tests, revealed the Times.

The new Covid testing drive will be supplemented by national monitoring in a bid to identify areas with rising cases.

This “surge testing” will potentially eliminate the need for future lockdowns and will snuff out any Covid outbreaks.

The Department of Health today said that when faced with new variants, the UK has taken action to isolate cases and stop the spread.

Genomic sequencing technology available in the UK has meant that we are finding a higher amount of mutations than other countries.

Genomic testing takes around five days and the new tests are set to take just two and a half.

Being able to inform those infected at a faster pace will allow contacts to be traced sooner and in turn will help break the transmission of the virus.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said that innovation is “at the heart” of the UK’s fight against Covid-19 and plays a key part in controlling the spread of the virus.

He said: “We must not stand still if we are to beat Covid-19 and safely ease restrictions in the coming months.

“That is why our goal is to eventually test every Covid positive sample for mutations, that indicate known variants, using this ground breaking new technology.

“This type of testing will help us rapidly identify variant cases and trace contacts quicker than ever before, helping stop outbreaks in their tracks and ensuring we can continue to follow the roadmap we have set out to get back to normal life.”

Regular testing is now available for school pupils as well as people who are unable to do their job from home.

So far over 27.6 million people have received a first dose of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab or the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, with over 2.2 million having had a second.

While the health service is working at a record pace to get everyone jabbed, regular testing and developments in genomic sequencing, will help protect the community by stopping outbreaks from spreading.

Health Minister Lord Bethell added: ““The progress made so far developing these new genotype assays is very encouraging and I am confident we will see positive outcomes from piloting this technology.

“Using this test to identify known variant of concern cases has the potential to accelerate our knowledge and understanding of variants of concern and halt their spread across the country.”