to think the Government will reach 200,000 tests by the end of May

[chomalungma]

Dead easy

There's the small print.
The tests include antibody tests. So if ignore the RT-PCR tests to see if people have the virus and instead ramp up the testing of anyone to see if they have antibodies, then you hit the target.

Whether that's useful is a separate issue.

And assuming we have the capacity with lab analysers and Roche can supply the tests.

But there is this simple small print in the test target - it covers all kinds of tests. Not just swab tests.

Don't you think it's useful to reach 200,000 swab and antibody tests? Why is this a negative?

Lab capacity is a lot lot higher for antibody tests than PCR tests so you’re probably right.

NHS don’t like to run PCR tests as standard as they are super expensive, therefore less equipment was already in place.

The Roche tests require a professional to draw the blood also I don't think it is going to be as simple as sending out thousands of swabs.

Don't you think it's useful to reach 200,000 swab and antibody tests

Is it more useful to have swabs - so you know WHO has been infected or is it more useful to have antibody tests?

Or is it more useful for the Government just to say they have hit the target - regardless of clinical use and value?

The Roche tests require a professional to draw the blood

Just a blood test - take blood samples like they do every day

Just a blood test - take blood samples like they do every day

Don't get me wrong I think it's brilliant but I think that it might be harder to orchestrate than the hoped for home tests. On the upside, it does get around the concern about people lying about their results.