Coronavirus: ‘Small number’ of home tests are useless – despite being included in government figures

The government has admitted that “a small number” of the home coronavirus tests sent out do not have the right information to be processed.

On Friday the government announced it had met its target of 100,000 daily tests – though there was criticism that the figure included home testing kits and tests carried out at satellite centres that haven’t yet been returned.

Now it appears that some of these home testing kits are useless.

Several key workers who were posted tests have been in touch with Sky News to say theirs have no return label. They have therefore been instructed to throw the COVID-19 test away.

The home tests are supposed to work by a person rubbing a cotton swab in their mouth, then inside their nostrils, putting both samples back in tubes and a sealed bag, then sending the package back.

Tom Howell, a teacher in Leeds, said the instructions on his test explained not to take it until a return delivery slot was booked – he guessed to prevent the quality of sample deteriorating.

But he was unable to book the courier without a tracking code on a prepaid label, which wasn’t included.

After calling the helpline to see if he could print one at home, he was told to bin the test and wait for another to arrive – in around a week’s time.

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A labourer, who did not want to be named, said he was told there had been a “technical issue” when he called to query the missing return details for two tests for him and his partner.

“The problem is, there was no mark to reorder and there are no more available,” he added.

“We still don’t know if we have it [coronavirus] or not. It’s important I know if I’ll be driving around the country, otherwise I’ll have to do self-isolation again.”

Another key worker in Lancashire, who also did not want to be named, encountered the same problem.

When she phoned the manufacturers, Randox, she said she was told she could drop it off at a council collection point, but the closest one was in Ireland.

Anisa from London, who also received no returns information, told Sky News she was holding on to her test.

“I feel like it’s such a waste to throw it away,” she said.

And Lindsay Southern from north Yorkshire wrote on Twitter she was told to re-apply for a new test in two weeks. “No response at all to email raising concern,” she added.

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said they were aware of a “small number” of home test kits posted “without a return label”.

“We are urgently seeking to resolve this so anyone affected can either be provided with a new label or order a replacement kit online, which won’t be counted in the daily figures,” they added.

During Saturday’s daily news conference, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said that 1,129,907 coronavirus tests had been carried out in the UK, including 105,937 on Friday.

Next week Kay Burley will be hosting a live Q&A with Health Secretary Matt Hancock. You can put your questions to Mr Hancock about the coronavirus and its impact on your life live on Sky News.

Email us your questions – or you can record a video clip of your question on your phone – and send it to AskTheHealthSecretary@sky.uk

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: ‘Small number’ of home tests are useless – despite being included in government figures