PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Coronavirus: Screening (19 February 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government is planning to introduce a second confirmatory PCR test before defining a positive covid-19 test result as a case as recommended by the WHO guidelines published on 20 January 2021.

Asked by:
Sir Alan Campbell (Labour)

The guidelines published by the World Health Organization were referring to ‘weak positives’ or positive at the limit of detection. In the community, a repeat sample would be requested and self-isolation advised pending the results of the second sample. The majority of positives are clear positives and there is no need for second test confirmation.

Answered by:
Helen Whately (Conservative)
11 March 2021