Unmet clinical needs for COVID-19 tests in UK health and social care settings.

Sara Graziadio,Massimo Micocci,A Joy Allen,Bethany Shinkins,On Behalf Of The Condor Steering Group ,Paola Cocco,Mike Messenger,Samuel G Urwin,D Ashley Price,Yaling Yang,Amanda Winter

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242125

Abstract

There is an urgent requirement to identify which clinical settings are in most need of COVID-19 tests and the priority role(s) for tests in these settings to accelerate the development of tests fit for purpose in health and social care across the UK. This study sought to identify and prioritize unmet clinical needs for COVID-19 tests across different settings within the UK health and social care sector via an online survey of health and social care professionals and policymakers. Four hundred and forty-seven responses were received between 22nd May and 15th June 2020. Hospitals and care homes were recognized as the settings with the greatest unmet clinical need for COVID-19 diagnostics, despite reporting more access to laboratory molecular testing than other settings. Hospital staff identified a need for diagnostic tests for symptomatic workers and patients. In contrast, care home staff expressed an urgency for screening at the front door to protect high-risk residents and limit transmission. The length of time to test result was considered a widespread problem with current testing across all settings. Rapid tests for staff were regarded as an area of need across general practice and dental settings alongside tests to limit antibiotics use.

Highlights

Testing plays an integral role in the international response to the current coronavirus pandemic, facilitating national surveillance and guiding patient management
We focused the survey within the UK health and social care system and covered a range of settings
These results are important for planning policies for the winter season when multiple respiratory conditions will be present and diagnostic tests will be crucial for the correct identification of COVID-19 patients

Summary

Introduction

Testing plays an integral role in the international response to the current coronavirus pandemic, facilitating national surveillance and guiding patient management. Testing strategies have been heavily scrutinized, and it is widely acknowledged that the tests currently available are far from ideal. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based tests, the most commonly used laboratory-based tests for determining current infection, has a false negative rate of around 20% (depending on symptom duration, sampling technique, and site) [1].

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion