Brits warned to not buy coronavirus tests online as they are unproven and potentially dangerous
BRITS should not buy coronavirus tests online because they are unproven and potentially dangerous, the Government’s testing czar has warned.
Prof John Newton said officials are working hard to assess the quality of dozens — but none has yet proved good enough.
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Health chiefs are seeking a cheap, reliable finger-prick test for home use to show if someone has been infected.
The aim is to allow them to return to work from lockdown if further studies show they have developed immunity to the virus.
Prof Newton said: “Testing is an important part of our war against coronavirus . . . but these tests need to work.
“We are working hard to improve them. Until then, please don’t buy or take any unproven tests that you might see online.
“They are not reliable. They may give a false reading and result in putting you, your family and numerous others at risk.”
Closer to a quality test
By Professor John Newton
I TOTALLY understand why people are looking for the certainty that quality testing can provide.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock wants to have 100,000 tests a day by the end of April.
These are blood tests designed to tell if people are immune. They work best about a month after someone has had the virus.
But we don’t want to give false hope and risk people spreading the disease further.
An Oxford University team has been experimenting with antibody tests to improve the accuracy we need for a home test.
The team is now working with testing firms. It has the potential to be a real gamechanger.
We are breaking new ground every day and I am confident we will make a breakthrough.
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