Home test kits for coronavirus to be made available in UK

There will be home coronavirus test kits available in Britain in a matter of days, according to a director at Public Health England (PHE). Test results will be available within 15 minutes of testing.

As reported in the Independent, thousands of tests are expected to be sold as soon as next week and people who are self-isolating will be able to order the test kits through Amazon.

Professor Sharon Peacock, Director of the National Infection service at PHE, said that the tests will be “distributed to the community” when they are cleared, when speaking with MPs from the science and technology committee.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock noted that millions of tests were bought by the UK government on Tuesday and millions more are being ordered.

The test requires pricking a finger and using a device that looks similar to a pregnancy test to analyze a drop of blood. The test will then let the user know if they have coronavirus, or have had it, by detecting antibodies in the blood.

When she was asked by MPs, Ms. Peacock said that the test kits would “absolutely” be made available within days.

She added, “Several million tests have been purchased for use. These are brand new products. We have to be clear they work as they are claimed to do.”

“Once they have been tested this week and the bulk of tests arrive, they will be distributed into the community.”

The new kit will allow health workers to make proper decisions when it comes to self-isolating or continuing to work—along with many other benefits.