Coronavirus tests have become increasingly easier to get hold of as the pandemic has progressed. Now more than 163 million Covid-19 tests have been taken in the UK since the start of the pandemic, ...

More than 14 million coronavirus tests have been taken in the UK in the past year, of which around 60% were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, according to government data. But the use of lateral ...

The government has halted Covid-19 testing at a private lab in Wolverhampton after at least 43,000 people were incorrectly given a negative PCR test result. The differences between PCR and lateral ...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were the first available for spotting the coronavirus. They work by detecting the virus’s genetic material, and are very accurate. Then came rapid tests, also ...

During the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), rapid testing was imperative for public health policymakers and health care workers in order to determine where and what measures ...

Editor's Note: Article updated with latest information on availability of tests. People faced problems getting hold of the tests last week after a huge surge in demand prompted the Government website ...

Lateral flow tests (LFTs) are quick and easy to take at home, giving a result within 20-30 minutes. They look for proteins on the surface of the virus, which are easily detected. However, they have a ...

The rules on when to take a PCR test and when to take a lateral flow have changed in England, as the UK hits more than 142,000 daily Covid cases. From January 11, those without symptoms do not need to ...