As we move forwards from the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, the approach to SARS-CoV-2 testing is also moving rapidly, both for viral detection and for testing the immune and protective immune responses to it. The initial wave has impacted, but further cases are likely unless and until an effective vaccine with long-term protective efficacy becomes available and widely used.

Testing is not something that is just done and counted. It is a process with clinical purposes for individual patients, for those who care for them and for the population at large. It is a conscious and targeted use of valuable materials and highly skilled professionals within the context of a pathway and purpose.

Jo Martin.jpg
Professor Jo Martin

This document sets out a vision for a future strategy with which clinical, scientific and policy stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, can align. It forms the basis for a roadmap to delivery. It applies equally to all settings in which care is delivered, across all our population, and all age groups.

This strategy is based on a set of seven principles, which underpin four key workstreams:

  • testing matched to purpose and pathways
  • innovation to adoption
  • Infrastructure and workforce for a stable future
  • SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus.

  • COVID-19 testing – a national strategy

    This document sets out a vision for a future strategy with which clinical, scientific and policy stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, can align. It forms the basis for a roadmap to delivery. It applies equally to all settings in which care is delivered, across all the population and all age groups.

    June 2020