Coronavirus, UK: the swabs were sent to Germany for faster results

In the UK an analysis laboratory was found empty as swabs were sent to Germany for faster results.

A UK Coronavirus testing centre looked empty today as swabs are reportedly being sent to Germany for quicker results. Before that, Chessington World of Adventures opened as a drive-thru testing centre for NHS staff.

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Why Coronavirus’ swabs were sent to Germany?

It is reported that only 75 people were tested at the south-west London site, with images showing empty testing bays and lanes in the car park of the adventure park. Along with it, there are some reports an IKEA car park just 13 miles away saw queues stretching a quarter of a mile for tests.

Public Health England needs four days to test the sample. Then the German labs said that they need only two days to process the swab. Because of that, Northampton General Hospital sent samples from 400 staff to the German labs of Eurofins Biomnis on Monday. This corresponds to Germany is averaging 70,000 tests a day while UK testing stood at 10,657 for the day.

Sadly, just 5,000 NHS staff out of half a million frontline workers have been tested so far. NHS staff told that they were being turned away when they try to present at the Chessington centre and the Wembley IKEA. It is because the staff had no appointment. Almost the same, another at Wembley said that the staff need a referral from NHS trust and no contact details.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the antibody tests are ideally done 28 days after infection. “I understand why NHS staff want tests, so they can get back to the front line. But I took the decision that the first priority has to be the patients for whom the results of a test could be the difference in treatment that is the difference between life and death.