Northamptonshire's police and firefighters offered 30-minute Covid tests

Health officials insist lateral flow tests being rolled out across Northamptonshire are a reliable tool in the battle against Covid-19.

Around 100 Police officers in the Kettering this week became some of the first in the country to be offered the 30-minute test which is designed to identify people who may be carrying the virus but don't know it.

Firefighters and social workers are also being offered the pregnancy-style test and the county's first community testing sites opened this week in Northampton and Corby with more to follow coveing all seven boroughs and districts.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Blatchly, said: "By the very nature of their jobs, our police officers and staff come into close contact with members of the public, and although they are taking every precaution possible, at times it is impossible for social distancing to take place.

“Public Health Northamptonshire offered us the opportunity to roll out the use of lateral flow tests and it makes sense that we would do all we can to help our staff and the public stay as safe as possible.

“These tests are really useful for identifying those who are most infectious. We know that a third of people with Covid-19 don't display any symptoms, so it is hoped these tests will enable us to identify those people working for us so they can self-isolate and prevent the virus from spreading to colleagues, loved ones and the public.”

The number of positive lab-tested PCR swabs — mainly reserved for people WITH coronavirus symptoms — dropped by around 20 per cent in Northamptonshire to 3,755 in the week to January 16.

Lateral flow testing has already been used in the county's care homes and schools, by the University of Northampton and during mass testing exercises in the north west.

Northamptonshire's Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman, said: "PCR testing in labs is still the gold standard for obtaining a definitive result for people with symptoms.

"But just because you don't have symptoms does not mean you don't have Covid and it is those people who pose the biggest risk because they don't know they've got it and will be going about their business as normal, putting other people at risk.

"It does not tell you that you don't have Covid as PCR tests do, but it is a really good risk-reduction tool."

The Police revealed no positive tests, yet some experts have warned the lateral flow devices bought by the Government are not accurate enough and can do more harm than good.

Professor Jon Deeks, of Birmingham University says the public is being misled and claims lateral flow tests were used in Liverpool failed to pick up 60 per cent of Covid infections.

Writing in a British Medical Journal article, Prof Deeks said: “The government continues to claim that the test detects 77 per cent – a figure from an unrealistic study running tests on symptomatic people.

"Among students in Birmingham, only three per cent of those who would have tested positive on PCR lab tests were detected.

“Low test accuracy would be less dangerous if people being tested and the public at large received accurate information about the risks and implications of a false negative result.

"Instead they are being misled. Results from government studies have been selectively reported and some have not been reported at all.”