Seven days in medicine: 22-28 April 2020
BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1675 (Published 30 April 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;369:m1675
Covid-19
All essential workers can now be tested
All key workers in England and members of their households with symptoms of covid-19 will be able to get tested for the virus through an online system, the government promised on 24 April, although the site was struggling to meet demand soon after launching. Mobile testing units and a delivery service for home testing kits are also being deployed. Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether he expected to meet his target of carrying out 100 000 tests a day by the end of April, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said, “I do, but nothing is guaranteed in life.” (Full story doi:10.1136/bmj.m1662)
Fifth of health workers may quit after pandemic
More than a fifth of healthcare workers in England—equivalent to 300 000 workers—reported being more likely to leave their role after the pandemic, in a poll of nearly 1000 healthcare professionals by the Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank (IPPR) and YouGov.1 The findings inform a report for IPPR, which proposes a comprehensive support package for frontline coronavirus staff, including sufficient personal protective equipment and testing, free hotel accommodation and grants to help with rent arrears, priority access to specialist therapy, a pay guarantee even if staff fall sick, and free childcare.
Extensive contact tracing controls spread in China
Contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who may be infected with covid-19 increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by two days (from 5.5 days …
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