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Summary
- Boots will roll out new LumiraDx devices with the help of which the swab test Covid-19 results can be processed in just 12 minutes
- Boots will be launching a designated pre-flight Covid-19 testing service with the results of the test typically available within 48 hours
- According to a study, it’s been revealed that the number of people with Covid-19 antibodies has reduced in the last three-month period
Boots UK Ltd, the Nottingham-headquartered pharmaceuticals and healthcare chain, has announced to offer coronavirus testing services with which a person’s health in connection with Covid-19 can be ascertained in only 12 minutes. Boots’ new testing services for coronavirus disease will be specifically offered to the people without Covid-19 symptoms. The Covid-19 testing offering is a private pre-flight testing service for the customers who are willing to do their self-examination before boarding the flight.
Boots’ 12-minute Covid-19 test
The Covid-19 testing service is already in place in 10 Boots stores spread over London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow for the customers travelling to UAE. Boots is aiming to launch the Covid-19 testing service in as many as 50 stores spread across the United Kingdom within a few weeks from now; interestingly, the coronavirus testing services can be extended to about 200 stores in the near future subject to the demand and feedback from the customers.
The company will be rolling out new LumiraDx devices to selected stores with the help of which the swab test Covid-19 results can be processed in just 12 minutes, providing a faster result. With the expansion of digital healthcare and pharmacy service offerings, the launch of new Covid-19 testing services is one of the several new initiatives taken by Boots.
Boots’ in-store Covid-19 test
Boots will be launching a designated pre-flight Covid-19 testing service with the results of the test typically available within 48 hours. As per Boots, the patients are required to fill a registration form following the instructions to book an appointment via the Boots online portal in order to obtain a Covid-19 test. A Covid-19 testing-trained member of Boots expert team will facilitate the swab test in the store following which the sample of swab will be packaged and sent to a laboratory for the examination.
The instore Covid-19 testing service will be available at a price of £120 per test which includes the charges of laboratory examination, courier service, VAT along with the costs of product materials, digital solution and staffing. According to Boots, £120-test is one of the cheapest private Covid-19 tests available in the market presently.
A test not meant for all
The Boots Covid-19 testing service is not advisable for any person with the prescribed symptoms of coronavirus, or anyone who thinks they may have Covid-19. Boots suggests to not book an appointment or come into a store if an individual or anyone in the household or the support bubble have coronavirus symptoms. Patients visiting the store for Covid-19 testing are mandatorily required to cover their faces and adhere to the social distancing guidelines whilst in store.
A full-proof accomplishment of rapid Covid-19 testing services can revolutionise the speed of testing across the UK, thereby, reducing the inappropriate usage of the government-facilitated testing services. Notably, the rapid Covid-19 testing is not approved as a pre-flight testing service so far that can be considered admissible at the airport premises. The fliers still have to go through a PCR test and the results processed through a registered laboratory.
MD’s take
Boots UK Managing Director Seb James said that the company has supported the UK government’s Covid-19 testing programme from the beginning and is now offering a new in-store Covid-19 testing service to inch forward in the efforts to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Boots UK can help minimise the pressure on the NHS and the government by facilitating additional access to Covid-19 testing service option in local community stores, James added.
Boots has expanded its delivery network, significantly increasing the capacity by 40 per cent at the online repeat prescription service and has delivered medicines to the vulnerable patients for free following the uncommon demand for the prescriptions. It also includes the delivery of prescribed medicines every day for free via the Royal Mail. Boots colleagues have conducted over a million Covid-19 tests within the UK so far.
Covid-19 antibodies drop
Meanwhile, according to a new study, it’s been revealed that the number of people with Covid-19 antibodies has reduced in the last three-month period. Such a finding can alleviate the growing optimism of fighting with coronavirus pandemic and can further intensify the trouble of Covid-19 reinfection.
The study, conducted by the Imperial College of London, is based on the analysis of finger-prick tests carried out at home between 20 June and 28 September. Over 365,000 people in England have shown that the antibody response to the virus that causes COVID-19 wanes over time. The findings show a possibility of a decline in the immunity levels across the people residing in England.
The study has also indicated that the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus dropped by 26.5 per cent with people living in London having the highest proportion of positive tests across the country, almost twice the national average. According to the authors of the study, the downward trend has been witnessed in all the areas of the country and all age groups, but not when it comes to health workers indicating repeated or higher initial exposure to the virus.
