ISSUING two coronavirus tests a week risks “wasting a huge amount of money” unless more support is given to people to self-isolate, a scientific adviser has said.
Professor Stephen Reicher, from the University of St Andrews and a member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B), which advises UK Government ministers, said more financial and practical support is needed.
People in England can have two rapid coronavirus tests per week from today, which can produce results in around half an hour. The lateral flow kits are available free of charge at approved testing sites, pharmacies and by post.
The First Minister also confirmed plans for all citizens to have access to two lateral flow Covid tests a week, saying more detail would be set out shortly.
READ MORE: Shona Craven: It’s not scaremongering to weigh up vaccine risks
Health ministers have said the tests will help spot any outbreaks as lockdown restrictions ease, and could help track the emergence of variants. But critics of the programme say it is a waste of money.
Reicher told Sky News the main reason for offering the public two lateral flow tests per week was to get them to self-isolate if infected.
“The problem is that, at the moment, we’re concentrating on that one piece of the system without thinking about the other parts,” he said.
“And the consequence is not only that people don’t self isolate … it also suggests that because people can’t afford to self-isolate, they don’t get tested in the first place.
“That was very clear last year when mass testing was done in Liverpool, where in deprived parts of the city only half as many people came forward for testing as in more affluent places.”
Reicher said that, for some people, self-isolating is impractical or they lose pay and “the way out of that is just simply to avoid a test”.
READ MORE: Coronavirus in Scotland: Overall death toll passes 10,000
The solution is “something that has been suggested for months now, actually probably since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago, which is that we need to give more support to self-isolation,” he added.
“To test people without thinking about what you’re going to do with those tests, making those things possible, is wasting a huge amount of money.
“We’re spending £37 billion on testing. It makes neither public health sense, nor economic sense, to waste that money for want of spending on giving people the support they need to self-isolate.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here