During yesterday’s visit to Derby Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed Derby as the “home of innovation”.
Mr Johnson was in Derby to visit SureScreen Diagnostics after the company landed a contract with the Government to supply 20 million rapid Covid-19 testing kits.
The Prime Minister also took time out to visit the vaccination centre set up at Derby Arena, where he spoke to staff and patients. He commented:
“You look at the things that go on in just 15 minutes from here, you’ve got Bombardier, you’ve got Rolls-Royce, all sorts of things happening in Derby.”
The lateral flow antigen tests will be used to support the Government’s drive to deliver rapid testing to those without symptoms in order to break chains of transmission.
The tests devised by the city-based firm, which can return results in 30 minutes, are the first British-made lateral flow tests validated for asymptomatic testing.
The new order will be used to test NHS and care home staff, as well as in targeted settings including schools, universities and to allow key workers to continue their vital work during lockdown.
With up to a third of individuals with Covid-19 not displaying symptoms, broadening asymptomatic testing is essential in finding positive cases who may unknowingly pass on the virus in order to break chains of transmission.
Lateral flow antigen tests work by taking a sample from the nose or back of the throat and testing that sample for the presence of antigens, the signature proteins of the virus.
Antigen testing can tell someone whether they currently have the virus that causes Covid-19, and produce results in under 30 minutes.
Routine testing is crucial to help businesses, as well as hospitals and GPs.

Dave & Sue Priestley