Liverpool’s Mass Covid Testing Could Be a Game Changer
Boris Johnson’s claims about antigen tests aren't entirely hype. But they need to be folded into a stronger program of contact tracing and isolation.
The rapid antigen test that delivers results in 15 minutes.
Photographer: Paul Hanna/BloombergUntil a vaccine arrives, the world has to find a way to live with Covid-19 and without lockdowns. One approach gaining currency is testing entire populations with new tests that deliver near-instant results. Slovakia just used such rapid diagnostic tests on 3.6 million people — two-thirds of its population — in two days.
Now Boris Johnson is piloting a similar program in Liverpool. Starting Friday, the northern English city is offering all residents and workers what is referred to as a “rapid antigen test,” to screen as much of the population for the virus as possible. Individuals can perform their own nasal swab and the result comes in as little as 15-30 minutes. Some 2,000 military personnel are being brought in to help out. If the experiment goes well, the government could distribute millions of the tests to other parts of the country before Christmas.