Optimizing Covid-19 isolation: the role of virus testing and the technology requirements

As work, education and recreation resume following Covid-19 restrictions, further isolation regimes must be proportionate, effective and properly supported by technology. Molecular tests for SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, will play a central role. But it’s not all about the testing methods: the development and implementation of an effective long-term testing strategy is critical as the comparative graphs demonstrate.

Businesses, schools and other establishments across the UK and around the world are bringing people back together as lockdown measures ease. Much has been done to ensure this is done as safely as possible, but there is still uncertainty surrounding the effect it will have on Covid-19 infection rates. In the UK, there are fears that a second wave of cases could result in another national lockdown, causing immense harm to economic, educational and social recovery.

To mitigate this risk, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is rolling out its test and trace service to ‘trace the spread of the virus and isolate new infections and play a vital role in giving us early warning if the virus is increasing again, locally or nationally.