Why the UK failed to get coronavirus testing up to speed | Paul Hunter
by Paul Hunter from on (#51HQP)
Pursuing a controversial herd immunity strategy put the government on the back foot. Now it's struggling to catch up
To stop a virus, you need to test for it. So why is it taking so long for the UK to increase its testing capacity? Although Public Health England is now aiming to conduct 10,000 tests per day, the UK's response still pales in comparison with Germany, which is reportedly managing to test about 70,000 people per day.
The government's inability to increase the number of tests is down to several factors. The kits have to be purchased in a global marketplace where demand has now exceeded supply. This raises the question: why didn't we prepare sooner?
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