Over 1,300 students sign up for rapid coronavirus testing at Northampton's university

The University of Northampton has seen 1,300 of their 8,000 students sign up for rapid coronavirus tests, ahead of them travelling home for Christmas.

From November 30, lateral flow device testing will be available for university students who live in halls of residence or private rented accommodation, not those who commute in.

The Government has said that the use of new testing technologies 'could significantly improve the detection' of positive cases among asymptomatic students and help prevent the spread of the disease when the 'student travel window' opens.

Similar to at-home pregnancy tests, coronavirus lateral flow tests work by triggering a reaction in a simple paper cartridge, without the need for laboratory equipment, and can be processed on site.

Mary Hall, a consultant for Public Health Northamptonshire, said the university has set the testing site up within the Sports Hall "brilliantly".

She said: "We are so impressed with how they've been incredibly organised and professional within such a short space of time.

"From a Public Health point of view we have absolute confidence in what they are doing and are really happy to be involved in it. All universities had an opportunity to apply to do it, as I understand it not all universities have signed up but a fair few have.

"What the lateral flow tests do really well is it identifies people who are asymptomatic but who have the virus. So, those are the people who are passing that virus on without realising it and the student population could be going home to their families and their loved ones with the virus and passing it on, which is not good.

"This is a virus that kills people. Even finding one positive case is one person that we can then get to isolate and not take that virus home."

From 3 December to 9 December, which will be known as the ‘student travel window’, students will be allowed to travel home on staggered departure dates set by universities.

At The University of Nothampton, students are being urged to work from home from December 4 when face-to-face teaching ends, if they have no assessments, as learning goes virtual until December 18.

Between November 9 and November 15 - the university recorded 30 active coronavirus cases. And, as of last week (the most up-to-date statistics), between November 16 and November 22, that number had fallen to just five positive cases.

If all 8,000 students were tested, it is expected that only one per cent of that number, 80 people, of would return a positive lateral flow device result.

Becky Bradshaw, the university’s director of campus services, added: "We've had really good levels of engagement from our student body, which really demonstrates the level of responsibility they have taken. At this present time, we've had over 1,300 students sign up for the first week of testing.

"It is voluntary, I think the number of appointments we have already got and we are not open yet shows shows how keen people are to not take the virus back to their loved ones for Christmas.

"That's the key to this programme - is trying to make sure that our students are not spreading the virus back home, particularly if they have may have vulnerable members in their family and given the news that we can mix a little bit at Christmas, it's likely that we will have multiple generations coming together over that period and do that, but do that safely."

If students test positive, there is an isolation guide and it goes out to students the moment that they report they are isolating - which includes a seven-day free care package, with food, toiletries and cleaning materials.

She added: "The key to when the programme is being designed is if a student tests positive, they isolate for ten days and they can return home for Christmas.

If a student tests positive they will be asked to do a confirmatory PCF test and if they test negative they will be asked to do another lateral flow device swab test within three days to rule out any margin for error, and they will be asked to make arrangements for leaving the university as swiftly as possible if they test negative for a second time."