PHE confirmed it was not using the advanced blood test because it was not accurate enough, and are hoping to develop their own. The message from the World Health Organisation is 'test test test', to avoid trying to fight an outbreak 'blindfolded'. University of Leicester researchers believe it will be at least two months before they can test the masks on actual COVID-19 patients. The team were the first in the US to analyze lung scans of patients in China with the highly contagious disease. Nasal and throat swabs test can identify patients even before patients become symptomatic, although some may still have the virus if they first test negative.

Source: Daily Mail March 18, 2020 22:24 UTC