From today everyone in England will be able to access free and rapid testing twice a week in an effort to keep rates down and lockdown lifting on track, the UK government has announced. Previously, rapid testing was only available to those ‘most at risk’ and ‘people who need to leave home for work, including frontline NHS workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families’. Now all will be eligible including those who do not display any symptoms which is hoped to control the rate and spread of variants.
The lateral flow devices, which are a type of antigen testing, are said to give results under 30 minutes and detect if a person has COVID-19. One in 3 people who have COVID-19 do not experience symptoms and these tests may be able to enhance those infected to self-isolate immediately.
According to the government, the test will be delivered via:
