The US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) has raised significant concerns about the rapid Covid test on which the UK government has based its multibillion-pound mass testing programme. In the UK, these lateral flow Innova tests form the cornerstone of Operation Moonshot, the mass-testing scheme championed by the prime minister’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings. The accuracy of the Innova tests also falls dramatically when administered by self-trained, non-healthcare workers versus lab scientists. The MHRA’s special authorisation of the Innova test – which is repackaged and deployed by the NHS – is due for another review by 22 June. Innova is confident about the quality of its product.”A DHSC spokesperson said the Innova test had already gone through the UK’s rigorous Porton Down assessment process.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2021 12:25 UTC