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Fastest Covid test developed in Basingstoke set to be rolled out across the UK

Last updated 16 October 2020
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A microbiology team at Basingstoke Hospital has been leading the way in developing a test for Covid-19 which could be used across the UK for rapid testing of the disease.

The team, led by clinical scientist Stephen Kidd, managed to reduce the result time down to less than 10 minutes. Their achievement was mentioned by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in May when announced a trial of the rapid test across Hampshire.

The test, developed by UK company OptiGene, was created using a simple molecular diagnostic test, which the company says could be rapidly deployed around the UK to significantly increase the capacity to diagnose the deadly virus.

The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals in Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester, led the trials on behalf of the Government.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of the trust, said: "We are tremendously excited to be able to support the government’s efforts for ever more accessible, faster coronavirus testing.

"That we are able to do so is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our entire microbiology department, from clinical scientists and the laboratory team to volunteers from academia and industry as well as the staff on the wards."

"We are very much looking forward to the results of this trial and the benefits it will bring to the community we serve."

Where

Address:

Basingstoke Hospital
Basingstoke
RG24 9NA
United Kingdom

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