‘No Swab’ Coronavirus Test Being Trialed in the UK

Source: Getty Images
A “no swab” coronavirus test is undergoing trials in the UK, potentially making it easier and more accessible for people to test for COVID-19 at home.
According to Reuters, a weekly coronavirus testing regime using a “no swab” saliva test is being trialed in the UK city of Southampton.
Unlike the current coronavirus swab test, which uses the standard polymerase chain (PCR) method, the “no swab” test uses a different technique called RT-Lamp that “has already shown to be highly promising.”
“Saliva testing could potentially make it even easier for people to take coronavirus tests at home, without having to use swabs,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in an announcement. “This trial will also help us learn if routine, at-home testing could pick up cases of the virus earlier.”
Reuters reports more than 14,000 doctors and health workers, university staff and other essential workers, together with their households, will participate in the trial. The trial will run for up to four weeks, testing people on a weekly basis.