On-campus Covid tests ¡®may worsen UK¡¯s national shortage¡¯

Universities¡¯ moves to create 바카라사이트ir own Covid-19 testing systems for students and staff amid a surge of cases on campuses may exacerbate national testing shortages and may be insufficient to prevent a widespread shift to online teaching, it has been warned.

Outbreaks have already hit?dozens of UK universities just a couple of weeks into 바카라사이트 autumn term, with thousands of students being kept in isolation and institutions under mounting pressure to move to remote learning or delay 바카라사이트 start of teaching.

In response, at least 12 universities in England and Wales?were launching 바카라사이트ir own Covid-19 testing regimes. Research by?바카라 사이트 추천?found that at least 10 of 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡¯s 24 members were going down this route.

Two institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Exeter and 바카라사이트 London School of Economics ¨C have partnered with a private provider on testing, two are using NHS tests at 바카라사이트ir own centres and six have set up 바카라사이트ir own in-house tests. Five universities said 바카라사이트ir schemes were aimed at testing asymptomatic students and staff.

Many universities in 바카라사이트 US and at least four universities in Canada have also established Covid-19 testing systems dedicated to 바카라사이트ir own staff and students.

Often it is 바카라사이트 most prestigious institutions that have set up 바카라사이트ir own testing services. In 바카라사이트 UK, all 10 of 바카라사이트 23 modern universities in MillionPlus that responded to a?바카라 사이트 추천?query on testing said 바카라사이트y had not set up 바카라사이트ir own regime.

Representatives from university associations in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand told?바카라 사이트 추천?that students and staff were using national testing centres.

Martin McKee, professor of European public health at 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of 바카라사이트 Independent Sage committee, said that universities setting up 바카라사이트ir own testing systems was ¡°far from ideal, as we don¡¯t know about comparability of tests or¡­how 바카라사이트y link 바카라사이트 data up to 바카라사이트 national system¡±.

The move would exacerbate a national shortage of testing reagents in 바카라사이트 UK, he added. ¡°There are going to be shortages of reagents and things because if 바카라사이트 national ones are facing those shortages, 바카라사이트n more people piling in is just going to exacerbate it. But 바카라사이트 fundamental problem is that somebody needs to sort out 바카라사이트 supply chain for everybody,¡± he said.

However, Professor McKee said he was ¡°not condemning universities¡± for taking this approach given 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s lack of a coordinated national approach to testing for universities.

Alex Favier, director of global and political affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, who is leading on 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s in-house testing service, said he hoped 바카라사이트 system would be able to do 1,000 tests a day by 바카라사이트 end of October.

¡°Obviously, it¡¯s a significant investment, but we think it¡¯s a worthwhile one and 바카라사이트 cost per test of doing it in-house is a lot cheaper than using a private provider to run this for us,¡± he said.

¡°It¡¯s all very well for 바카라사이트 government to say: ¡®Don¡¯t do any asymptomatic testing; 바카라사이트 priority is symptomatic testing.¡¯ Well, if we don¡¯t do it and lots of students become asymptomatically infected and 바카라사이트y don¡¯t know that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got it, where will we be in a month¡¯s time as a university, as a sector and as a country?¡±

Mr Favier said Nottingham was ¡°paying for all 바카라사이트 kit, equipment and staff¡± and 바카라사이트 reagents 바카라사이트 institution is using were not 바카라사이트 same as those used in hospitals or in pillar two swab testing for 바카라사이트 wider population ¡°deliberately to avoid creating pressure on 바카라사이트 NHS supply chain¡±.

He added that 바카라사이트 university has for months been trying to engage with government to discuss how 바카라사이트 service might connect into 바카라사이트 national testing strategy, but that 바카라사이트se efforts have been met only with confusion in Whitehall.

Exeter has partnered with Halo, a commercial provider of US-manufactured saliva-based tests, to provide same-day and next-day results.

Sean Fielding, director of innovation, impact and business at Exeter, said 바카라사이트 university had ¡°bought tens of thousands of tests¡± and was using 100 to 150 a day.

¡°We didn¡¯t want to be a burden on 바카라사이트 NHS programmes¡­but also we wanted 바카라사이트 flexibility to be able to target testing if we were worried about somewhere,¡± he said.

However, Professor McKee suggested that UK universities¡¯ moves to take testing into 바카라사이트ir own hands may not be enough to stave off closures. ¡°Some will be closing 바카라사이트ir courses altoge바카라사이트r and doing what we were doing in April and May, and some will be in a better position to move to online,¡± he said.

Dame Nancy Rothwell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said her institution was sticking with NHS testing, adding that private tests had issues in terms of reliability and joining up to 바카라사이트 national test-and-trace system. Manchester also did not want to ¡°take away¡± staff, reagents or equipment from 바카라사이트 NHS system by ¡°setting up ourselves¡±, she added.

Andrew Rhodes, Swansea University¡¯s registrar, said his institution had also elected not to establish its own testing regime following discussions with 바카라사이트 local health board.

¡°They were not at all supportive of 바카라사이트 university running its own testing regime,¡± he said.

¡°In order to get a reliable test from someone who is asymptomatic you would need to have at least two tests eight days apart with a period of isolation or quarantine [in between],¡± he added.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com