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果冻影院鈥檚 virus detecting machines to bolster Covid-19 testing programme
20 March 2020
In response to an urgent request by UK government, 果冻影院 has provided 16 sophisticated virus detecting machines, which will enable thousands more people to be tested for Covid-19.
Following the call from the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office, Professor David Lomas, Vice Provost (Health) at 果冻影院, took an immediate decision to free up all the university鈥檚 ThermoFisher PCR (polymer chain reaction) machines. These are normally used to carry out groundbreaking research into cures for cancer, dementia and infectious diseases.
PCR machines can听analyse a patient鈥檚 saliva/swab sample, and take just a few hours to detect the presence of a virus'听RNA.
Today (20 March, 2020) soldiers from the Coldstream Guards picked up the hi-tech machines, which are dotted across 果冻影院鈥檚 London campus, before taking them to the UK鈥檚 testing facility near Milton Keynes.
Professor Lomas said: 鈥淚n order to get on top of this pandemic, it is vital Covid-19 testing is increased, and doctors and patients have access to the results quickly.
鈥淐ritically we need to be able to test the thousands of frontline NHS staff, who are treating patients, and need to be self-isolating should they too be infected.
鈥淲hile these PCR machines typically carry vital research work, we had no hesitation in freeing up this equipment to the UK government, during this national crisis.
鈥淭hese machines will significantly bolster the nation鈥檚 testing programme. We stand ready to assist wherever we can.鈥�
尝颈苍办蝉听
滨尘补驳别听
Coldstream Guards soldier outside the Cruciform.听Credit: Claire Glen
Media contact听
Henry Killworth听
Tel: +44 (0) 207 679 5296
E: h.killworth [at] ucl.ac.uk