Coronavirus tests have become increasingly easier to get hold of as the pandemic has progressed. Now more than 163 million Covid-19 tests have been taken in the UK since the start of the pandemic, ...

The government has halted Covid-19 testing at a private lab in Wolverhampton after at least 43,000 people were incorrectly given a negative PCR test result. The differences between PCR and lateral ...

Follow-up PCR tests to confirm Covid-19 infections in asymptomatic people are being axed in a bid to shorten isolation periods and ease nationwide staffing shortages. The differences between PCR and ...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were the first available for spotting the coronavirus. They work by detecting the virus’s genetic material, and are very accurate. Then came rapid tests, also ...

During the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), rapid testing was imperative for public health policymakers and health care workers in order to determine where and what measures ...

Lateral flow tests (LFTs) are quick and easy to take at home, giving a result within 20-30 minutes. They look for proteins on the surface of the virus, which are easily detected. However, they have a ...

Scientists and public health experts built the COVID-19 pandemic response on years of experience navigating infectious disease outbreaks. Although lateral flow immunoassays have been central to ...

Fully vaccinated holidaymakers will soon be able to take lateral flow coronavirus tests on their return to England instead of PCR tests. The change from more expensive PCR tests to cheaper and quicker ...

A Covid-19 lateral flow test showing a negative result. Routine testing to identify those infected followed by efficient contact tracing, and supported isolation is still the most effective public ...