Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.
The positive press had begun, from Yorkshire post “This is a vast improvement on the performance of many other lateral flow tests. The Innova test had a sensitivity of 79 per cent when used by laboratory scientists, meaning that 21 per cent, or one in five, would be false negatives.”
Only one was incorrect! You work that out for yourself.
“ Out of a total of 102 negative samples tested with the lateral flow device, the test correctly identified 101 as negative, giving a clinical specificity of 99.0%.”
Timing is everything and the GOV are waiting to push SURGE testing once we get to a prevalence of 10 in 100,000. This will ensure future success of the test and trace campaign. We are nearly there. I watched the SAGE meeting in March and I shared on here where they clearly said the government were waiting to hit that prevalence point and then will start to push surge testing. The prevalence is quickly dropping . The delay i imagine is due to waiting for the target prevalence number. They want it to be successful this time round particularly with the launch of a sovereign test.
It would be daft to launch before hand to risk failure when all you have to do is wait and then the sovereign test is hailed a Huge success and the whole test and trace model , they have based it on the successful South Korean model. It’s not just about a good test, it’s about all the other variables ensuring best outcomes. There is always a bigger picture.
We are nearly there, you can check the daily prevalence online.
All setting us up nicely- News today highlights the need for a better test, from the independent, a care home study. Professor Buckle said testing will be needed for a very long time , we have a duty of care for the test to be OPTIMUM.
'He said there is a window of opportunity of several months to learn from care homes about what is working and make sure an effective testing system is in place before any third wave."
He added: “I think the need to carry on having very robust testing is going to be with us for a very long time.
This gov document specifies that Daily Contact Testing can work better than isolating for the workplace and school children. However they state the importance of the test being sensitive. Our test fits the bill.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/976324/S1146_SPI-M-O_Daily_contact_testing.pdf
article from today
"Diagnostics will thus remain a vital weapon in Downing Street’s arsenal. Covid-19 tests have ramped up in the UK from zero last spring to 1.2m a day. And as ‘stay at home’ mandates ease, testing will only become more important – in turn drawing greater levels of investment.
“LFT tests have only recently become viable as a means of testing, with multiple tests being progressed through to certification and approval. This was unforeseen by the DHSC and outside its control.4. DHSC's market analysis data demonstrates that the global market for LFT is volatile and highly competitive. Global manufacturing capability is limited to circa 120m units per day. Demand often outstrips supply. The UK’s own requirement is driven by the progress of the pandemic (including emerging variants), the changing efficacy of available LTF products and the severity of the second wave/national R-number. That requirement, combined with high global freight and insurance costs, mean that UK must make substantial purchase of raw materials to manufacture tests“
Add on the dips . It’s like a spring sale.
“As part of national measures to deal with the covid-19 pandemic, DHSC has an ongoing requirement for the supply of substantial volumes of Lateral Flow Testing Kits.It is anticipated that DHSC will be procuring significant volumes over Q1 and/or Q2 2021.The volumes and associated values are to be confirmed in subsequent contract notices.”
Buy the dips
Longbull each batch of devices has to conform to the ISO going forward, you don’t get an ISO and it rubber stamps every device made in future. There are many processes to be adhered to for safety and legal reasons. My sister is both scientist first and progressed into manufacturing and quality control , having a science background is most likely an essential criteria. They have a product that is ready to be manufactured. That is obvious from the job post. We have a website that has been testing links to the government web pages and ready to launch its product page any moment. Add more during the dips if you can.
Don’t forget the info on the gov. U.K. site ref the RAPID U.K. CONSORTIUM. Anytime the government is involved there are delays. That is pars the course and Avacta will be just as keen as we are to get moving.
“Numerous bilateral deals have also been agreed between members as a result of industry coming together with intense purpose and leaving competition at the door in order to prioritise the generation of new UK tests and manufacture them at a scale never considered possible.”
I checked with BSI that are taking Avacta through the ISO process and while they are not allowed to disclose how close to certification Avacta are , they could say that it had not been withdrawn and it is a LIVE application. So it can be anyway, the time process although advertised on the BSI Group website as 4 to 6 weeks to certification is dependant on the number of tests used to validate the certification. With Easter over the period it is completely understandable to have been a bit later than Al said in the Vox interview. I'm long with AVACTA for the therapeutics, I see the LFT as a bonus to this company. Once they have achieved ISO it will go live on the BSI website that is updated daily. I'm sure we will have the RNS that same morning.
Quote from FT article earlier this year
“We’re under strict instructions to find UK-based LFDs. It’s a question of security of supply,” said John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford university, who has been working with the government on identifying and validating new technologies.”
From the gov. U.K. consult doc.
“The government is keen to develop a resilient UK based supply chain to safeguard test supply particularly as we strive for improved quality”
See previous chat for link
From the consultation doc on gov. U.K.
“The UK government has a number of objectives in relation to facilitating a thriving private sector market for COVID-19 detection testing. One key objective is about enabling and supporting innovation. We are keen to grow the private testing market, enabling domestic innovation to improve testing effectiveness and efficiency.”
DHSC will no longer validate lateral flow devices that only allow for a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal specimen collection method or both. Instead, the instructions for use (IFU) for the lateral flow device must contain a specimen collection method that allows for one or more of the following sample types:
anterior nares
mid-turbinate
saliva
This list is written in priority order: lateral flow devices submitted with a specimen collection method higher up on the list will be prioritised for validation
Our faster test? Sky news. Just. Boris Johnson says he has not "given up" on allowing Britons to jet abroad from 17 May - as he raised the prospect of holidaymakers being able to use cheaper and faster COVID tests on their return to the UK.
Article says On target to start using British swab this month
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9437191/amp/Californian-firm-won-2-8BILLION-supply-UK-lateral-flow-Covid-tests.html
In the independent SAGE MEETING ON FRIDAY last they explained exactly why the government has been remaining quite. They need to hit an exact prevalence number before deploying surge testing to ensure success. They are basing it on successful Korean testing regimen. We are nearly at that number. This is all being orchestrated to prevent transmission in future.
There is a massive push from the government soon. Independent SAGE said in the meeting Friday which you can teach on you tube they government to wait to hit certain prevalence level to deploy surge testing success and prevent transmission, that’s why they are quiet about it, it’s all about timing and we are not at the level yet but rates are nearly there. This is the government chance to get it right and avoid another wave.