UK to develop 'game-changer' COVID-19 test: PM

LONDON

Public Health England is working on an antibody test which will show who has had the novel coronavirus despite having no symptoms.

Research on the test is progressing quickly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday at a press conference in Downing Street.

“The great thing about having a test to see whether you’ve had it enough, is suddenly a green light goes on above your head and you can go back to work safe and confident in the knowledge that you are most unlikely to get it again,” Johnson said.

He added that the test would be a “game-changer” economically and socially.

The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said work at Public Health England on the antibody test is progressing "very fast" and they have valuable data on the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Dr. Jenny Harries said they will develop COVID-19 kits that can be used at home, which would alleviate the burden on public health workers.

According to National Health Service (NHS) data, COVID-19 has claimed 33 more lives in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 104. Confirmed cases have increased by 676 to a total of 2,526.

The government was following a controlled infection strategy with the goal of collective immunity but made some changes in the policy following criticism.

Johnson advised the public to refrain from unnecessary travel and social contact.

The government also decided to close schools until further notice.

Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December, the novel coronavirus has claimed more than 7,870 lives globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 194,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in at least 164 countries and territories, with Europe as its epicenter, according to the WHO.

Despite the rising number of cases, most people who get infected suffer mild symptoms and recover.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut