This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51943612

The article has changed 88 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 79 Version 80
Coronavirus: What tests are available? Coronavirus: How to get a covid test
(about 13 hours later)
Increased coronavirus testing in areas of the UK with higher numbers of cases has led to shortages elsewhere. There has been an increased demand for coronavirus tests in the UK.
But public health experts say this strategy could mean that big rises in numbers in other places are missed. Testing people and then tracing the contacts of those infected is considered vital to stop the disease from spreading.
Testing people and then tracing the contacts of those who are infected - is considered vital to stop coronavirus from spreading. Should I get tested?
What are the targets for testing? Anyone showing symptoms of coronavirus can be tested. These are:
The government said it planned to increase testing capacity to 500,000 a day by the end of October. The idea is to find people who have the virus and keep them isolated to avoid it being spread in the wider community.
Currently capacity is reported as being 350,000 a day, but in reality only about 180,000 daily tests are routinely carried out. What are the covid tests?
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also pledged to bring in mass coronavirus testing by the end of the year, even among people with no symptoms. There are two types of tests.
Mr Hancock said the "ramping up" of testing would be helped by new technology, including rapid Covid-19 test kits which provide results in 90 minutes. The first checks if you are currently infected. A nose and throat swab is taken, which is then sent off to be processed at a lab.
The Office for National Statistics is also expanding its monitoring programme, where a random sample of people in private households are regularly swabbed to indicate how much infection there is in the wider population. New versions promising to deliver results in 90 minutes are being introduced in settings like hospitals and care homes. They can be processed using portable machines.
What are the tests? Tests on saliva are also being trialled, with samples again being analysed in a laboratory.
The main test involves a nose and throat swab which has to be sent off to be processed at a lab. The second kind of test involves blood samples and looks for antibodies, which indicate past, not current infection. These are mainly being used to estimate what percentage of the population has had covid, rather than to diagnose individuals.
Two new tests promising to deliver results in an hour-and-a-half have been bought in their thousands by the UK government. How do I book a test to check if I have coronavirus?
These tests are currently planned to be used in settings like hospitals and care homes. Tests can be taken by visiting either a drive-through testing site, or a mobile testing unit.
Both still involve nasal swabs, but they can be processed using portable machines rather than needing to be sent to a lab. They need to be booked - either online or by calling 119 if you have problems using the internet.
These tests won't show if you have had Covid-19 in the past. That requires antibody tests, which use blood samples. The Department of Health says you can find your nearest site by searching for "coronavirus testing" on Google Maps.
Can I get tested? Alternatively, you can order a home testing kit but only in the first four days of having symptoms - otherwise you have to visit a site.
The lab-based tests are now available to anyone in the UK with a fever, a new continuous cough or a loss of smell or taste. Can I be tested if I have no symptoms?
You can travel to a drive-through testing site, where you are tested through your car window, visit a mobile testing unit or have a home testing kit delivered. Generally only people with symptoms are told to apply for a test, with results expected inside 48 hours.
Antibody tests are are only offered to health and care staff, in schools, or in the tests estimating the level of exposure across the country. However, staff and residents in care homes should now be receiving regular tests, regardless of symptoms. Some hospital staff are routinely tested, but there is no national guidance stating that they must be.
Can people who don't have symptoms be tested?
At the moment, generally only individuals with symptoms are told to apply for coronavirus tests, with results expected in one or two days.
But officials have become increasingly concerned about asymptomatic transmission - where people who don't know they have the virus spread it on to others.
Staff and residents in care homes should now be receiving regular coronavirus tests, whether or not they have symptoms.
Some hospital staff are routinely tested, but there is no national guidance stating that they must be.
People living in areas where there is a current outbreak can also be tested, even without symptoms.People living in areas where there is a current outbreak can also be tested, even without symptoms.
But the government has said it wants to move towards mass testing where it becomes the "norm" for people to be tested regularly for coronavirus regardless of symptoms.
How reliable are the tests?How reliable are the tests?
When it comes to the most common type of diagnostic test, scientists at the University of Bristol believe 20% of positive cases could falsely appear as negative, wrongly telling someone they are not infected.When it comes to the most common type of diagnostic test, scientists at the University of Bristol believe 20% of positive cases could falsely appear as negative, wrongly telling someone they are not infected.
This can be because the swab sample wasn't good enough, there were problems in the lab, or the stage of infection the patient was at when tested.This can be because the swab sample wasn't good enough, there were problems in the lab, or the stage of infection the patient was at when tested.
How many tests are being carried out?How many tests are being carried out?
Between 150,000 and just under 200,000 tests are being processed each day, but that includes antibody tests and those used for the purposes of estimating prevalence in the population, rather than diagnosing people individually. Between 150,000 and 200,000 tests are processed each day. This includes antibody tests and those used to estimate how widespread the virus is.
The government has been challenged over its testing capacity and the data it has presented, and has now changed the way it sets out testing data. The government has been challenged over its testing capacity and data, and has now changed the way it presents this. Figures now only include those which have been processed, whereas it previously included those which had been sent out - even if they didn't come back.
Until recently, the figure also includes kits posted out to homes - some of which may never be returned. Up until the end of last week, the UK had performed 13 million tests.
It was also double counting home tests when they were posted out and when they were processed in the lab. Current testing capacity in the UK is reported as being 350,000 a day. The government said it plans to increase testing capacity to 500,000 a day by the end of October.
On 12 August it removed 1.3m tests from its total number of tests "made available" because of this double counting. It has also pledged to bring in mass coronavirus testing by the end of the year, even among people with no symptoms.
How does the UK compare to other countries?
Each country records testing slightly differently, so like for like comparisons won't be 100% accurate.
However, analysis from Our World In Data, a research team based at the University of Oxford, suggests the UK is now performing more tests than many other countries.
For example, the seven-day average up until 3 September showed the UK had carried out 2.5 tests per 1,000 people. This was ahead of European countries including France (1.8) and Spain and Germany (both 1.7).
When we adjust for countries' populations, the UK is beaten in numbers of tests by a handful of countries in Europe, including Portugal, Lithuania and Iceland.
Follow Rachel on TwitterFollow Rachel on Twitter
What do I need to know about the coronavirus?What do I need to know about the coronavirus?
Have you been tested? Or are you waiting for a test?Have you been tested? Or are you waiting for a test?
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist about your experience.Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist about your experience.
Or use the form below:Or use the form below: