Enabling normality to return to the workplace including the retail and hospitality sectors as well as the resumption of international travel will require long-term changes to our daily life.
The benefits of routinely testing individuals to prevent, control and isolate further outbreaks of COVID-19 disease will endure alongside other non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, the wearing of facemasks and regular hand sanitising. The introduction of COVID-19 screening via a regular testing regime which is logistically simple, affordable, and sufficiently accurate is therefore an essential element of this process of adjustment to a changed social landscape. In addition to Government initiatives, employers may wish to introduce their own internal screening programmes.
Sutton House have been engaged in responding to the challenges and threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for the past year and is continually scanning the horizon for innovative, simple, cutting edge technology in the COVID-19 medical arena.
They have been successfully advising the senior leadership teams of select MOD units and a number of private clients, including some of the UK’s leading independent schools, regarding risk mitigation measures to maintain business operations. Their senior medical and clinical experts have formulated best practices and procedures that align with UK government guidelines for each individual environment and community, additionally recommending fully scrutinised, credible, cost- effective diagnostic and screening technologies where applicable.
Lateral flow antigen testing detects the presence of COVID-19 viral antigens from a nasal swab sample. The test is administered by simple, handheld devices producing results in 15-30 minutes and can be self- administered once simple staff training has been provided. The aim of testing is to identify the asymptomatic patient who is not displaying any symptoms and can therefore spread COVID-19 unwittingly. This can represent 30-50% of all positive cases.
Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) are relatively cheap and quick to use. They are most useful in repeated, mass population screening. This is because of their simplicity, cost, and ability to identify the most dangerous individuals with the highest viral load but yet no apparent symptoms of disease.
Please contact Sutton House Operations Director Emma Maxted (e.maxted@suttonhouse.com) to discuss the particular requirements for your organisation.