In recent news, Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care has promised free Coronavirus tests. But it is free only for the staff and residents of care homes. All nursing home individuals showing symptoms will have the freedom to take the test. The government takes this important decision at a time when it is criticized for not being able to manage the health crisis.
Matt Hancock promises free testing for all healthcare workers. Along with residents of care homes.” The testing capacity is currently on par with the population. Almost 400,000 old residents live in care homes in the United Kingdom. But two-thirds of them are already in severe infection from Coronavirus.
But that is not the only concern. Because according to Candesic, a health consultancy, around half of these individuals will die once Coronavirus becomes endemic in the care homes.
What did the UK Government take to help curb the spread of Coronavirus?
Previously the UK government promised to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests by the end of the month. Today, the Department of Health confirms that it still remains the “ambition.” All patients who shift from a hospital to a Nursing home will be contacted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). CQC will contact around 30,000 healthcare providers to help deliver tests to these individuals.
NEWS: Everybody going from hospital into social care will be tested for #coronavirus & isolated whilst the result comes through to protect those most in need. pic.twitter.com/NaU7ggRRhJ
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) April 15, 2020
The daily deaths taking place in such nursing homes are not a part of the Public Health England’s death count. This is another reason why people believe the numbers to be not correct.
Mr. Hancock says ” We are doing everything possible to keep the care home workers and residents safe and secure. I will make sure that anyone who needs a coronavirus test gets access to one.”
Suryapratim Ray is an engineer, author, robotics hobbyist, and an active Quoran. Being a technical blogger, he covers the good, bad, and ugly of science on a regular basis at Sciencenews18. In addition to his passion for writing, he’s equally keen on learning classical music.